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Latest news stories:
Government wants UK spaceport to take advantage of growing space tourism industry
The UK government is considering developing the necessary legal framework to permit a spaceport to be set up in the UK. They want simpler regulations for new space tourism companies to start operating services in Britain. The government is also increasing its financial help to the industry to £40bn by 2030. The government hopes this will boost national kudos, as space technology requires ultra-high precision engineering, which is a UK strength with a background in defence technology companies. There are claims of jobs. David Willetts, the Science Minister, said: "Space industries already support 95,000 full-time jobs and generate £9.1bn for the economy each year." The UK Space Agency say: "Our vision is to make the UK the most attractive location for space businesses to set up and prosper." A suitable site is now being sought for the launch site, which needs to be where there isn't much civilian airspace, or many people, and near the sea (for safety) - perhaps an under-used or dis-used RAF airfield or a smaller airport, in the West Country, Wales or Scotland. The government wants it operational by 2019 and that Virgin Galactic will fly from it.
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Populus surveys done for Heathrow show only 48% back its expansion (26% back it strongly, 23% oppose it strongly)
To quote Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli; "There are lies, damned lies, and statistics." And so it is when opinion polls are done, and the organisation that commissions the poll wants a particular result out of it. Heathrow often gets Populus to ask people in boroughs near Heathrow what they think. They usually ask similar questions each time. One asks "Taking everything you know into account, do you currently support or oppose expanding Heathrow?" Over all boroughs surveyed, 26% strongly supported this; 22% somewhat supported; 11% somewhat opposed; 23% strongly opposed. See link So 48% support, and 34% oppose, with 18% neither supporting nor opposing. The figures were broadly the same a year earlier (with 46% supporting, but 43% opposing, and 10% neither supporting nor opposing). Heathrow says this is large, and growing, support. It is difficult to interpret the figures, as Populus only publishes a small bit of its results, with no methodology, such as the script of the interviewer, tone of the questions etc. Questions need to be asked about what information is given to people by Populus before they are asked their views.
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History Group appalled at possible demolition of ancient buildings around Gatwick
On Saturday 26th April the Charlwood History Group visited a number of fine historic buildings (18 of them are listed) which would be demolished if a new runway were to be built at Gatwick. The group visited the area which would be demolished, or made virtually uninhabitable, if a 2nd runway was to be built. The loss of these wonderful old buildings would be very sad, and a travesty. The Chairman of the Charlwood Society said: "If this were ever to happen it would be a tragedy for our local district, and for our heritage. We must see that it never happens." Of the 18 listed buildings, there are 5 that are listed by English Heritage as ‘Grade 2 star’ which puts them among the 6% most important historic buildings in England. Some of the stunning and important buildings under threat are Charlwood House, Rowley, the Beehive, Hyders and the Church of St Michael and All Angels. Henry Smith, MP for Crawley, joined the party for part of the tour.
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Keith Taylor, Green MEP on Lydd airport: We must look at fate of Manston and think again
Keith Taylor MEP says the Lydd airport area, in his European constituency, could be revived in a way to generate jobs and green growth - but not by expanding the airport or using it for yet more holiday flights. He is concerned about the low, and declining, number of airport jobs generated by ultra-low-cost flights, and that better employment could be generated on the site, with lower carbon emissions. Keith says the arguments for Lydd Airport expansion centres on an economic case that simply doesn't stand up. In reality, Lydd's remote position, and relatively inaccessible by public transport, means it already faces a competitive disadvantage compared with Gatwick. He says: "With the nuclear power station at Dungeness on its last legs, I believe it's time to turn the peninsula into a green energy zone. I'd like to see schemes like the Marsh Millions built on to offer local green business incentives to set up shops in the area, and provide people with jobs to build a life on." Lydd could be at the forefront of a new economic model, of economies refocused on tackling climate change.
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Does Lord Bradshaw reflect Lib Dem aviation policy?
The Evening Standard has reported that Lord William Bradshaw, who co-chairs the little-known Liberal Democrat parliamentary committee on transport has said he backs a Gatwick 2nd runway. Lord Bradshaw, who is a former railwayman, has said Gatwick should be allowed a 2nd runway if "it pays for an upgrade of the Brighton-to- London rail line" ... and because it offers "real improvements on the rail journey to London" for the residents of Sussex. Eh? A runway to improve rail services?? The Liberal Democrats have traditionally said they would not back a new runway at Heathrow or Gatwick. Their policy has been somewhat muddled and confusing over the past few years, with talk of a hub, and no net new runways. However, in the past they have been consistent in saying that the UK's carbon targets are at risk if aviation is allowed to expand. They may now be wavering, and no longer to be trusted in their rejection of new runways. Nick Clegg’s party now says it wants to see reassurances about environmental considerations – whether carbon emissions or local air and noise pollution – written into the final Davies report. A much weaker position.
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Local public meeting suggests possible uses for Manston – aircraft breaking, painting etc
A fighting fund has been set up in an attempt to save Manston airport . A large public meeting has been held, to back the airport's attempts to stay open, somehow, and raise money for the fund. Its aim is not clear. At the start of the meeting MP Sir Roger Gale revealed that he and fellow MP Laura Sandys had held meetings with a potential buyer for the airport. Sir Roger said the outcome of his negotiations with a "significant potential investor" will become clear in the next 4 - 5 days. There is a Save Manston Airport group, and a Why Not Manston? group. Among the ideas presented for the survival of the airport was the suggestion that Manston could become an aircraft recycling facility. The airport may already have a licence to carry out aircraft breaking. It was also suggested that Manston could become a specialist in aircraft painting, or that it could be run by the Council [and cost the council a fortune from its losses?] The issue of the noise, directly over Ramsgate, from old and unduly noisy freight planes using Manston remains a key local issue. As a functioning airport, it is just not in the right place.
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Stobart’s Carlisle airport on hold, and cuts to Flybe and easyJet routes from Southend
Stobart Group’s aviation division has suffered another blow, just a month after a High Court judge quashed its plans for Carlisle Airport. Flybe and easyJet have axed routes from Stobart’s Southend Airport. Flybe has cancelled flights to Cologne after only one week in response to an announcement from Ryanair that it is launching a route from nearby Stansted to Cologne. Meanwhile, easyJet has reduced the number of planes based at Southend from 4 to 3, scrapping flights to Krakow and winter services to Jersey and Palma, Majorca. Flybe’s routes from Southend are operated by Stobart Air’s aircraft under a franchising agreement. Flybe's other new routes to Rennes and Caen, Munster, Antwerp and Groningen will continue. Stobart had hoped the new routes would carry 200,000 passengers in 2015, rising to 700,000 by 2017. Stobart’s plans for Carlisle Airport had envisaged daily flights to Southend and Dublin, but that is held up by the legal challenges though Stobart will submit another planning application.
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Peel Group buys back the 65% of Liverpool airport that it sold in 2010 – now owns 100%
The Peel Group has retaken control of the loss-making Liverpool John Lennon Airport less than 4 years after selling it to Canadian group, Vantage. It has bought the 65% of the airport it sold in June 2010 back from Vantage Airports UK Peel had retained a 35% stake. . The change of ownership is effective immediately and Peel will now become the sole owner of the airport company. Liverpool airport posted a pre-tax loss of £7.1m on turnover of £31.6m in the year to 31 March 2013. In the 2013 accounts, auditor KPMG said the airport faced "material uncertainty which may cast significant doubt on the company's ability to continue as a going concern". Negotiations with banks were ongoing with a 31 March deadline. Vantage hads decided to focus solely on the North American market and is leaving the UK. Vantage had already sold its interest in Doncaster airport. Liverpool has suffered from competition on cheap fares from Manchester. Passenger levels through Liverpool peaked in 2008 at 5.4m and fell to 4.2m in 2013.
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Residents at Gatwick Airport’s exhibitions disappointed not to have a “no to 2nd runway” consultation option
Gatwick Airport has a massive budget for publicity in order to promote its plans for a 2nd runway. They have laid on a series of exhibitions at places across the area, hoping to get a good level of approval for their wide spaced runway, for landings and take-offs on both runways ( their option 3). However, their "consultation" is more of a PR exercise, as there is no proper option by which anyone can say NO to any new runway. [There is one small box, "None of these options" hidden in Section D on Page 7, which is the ONLY way anyone can express a NO vote]. The majority of those attending the exhibitions appear to be uncertain whether they back a 2nd runway, many are ambivalent, and many are strongly opposed. That is not what Gatwick was hoping for. Many attending the exhibitions have been angered by the absence of a proper NO option on the forms, as well as the total absence of any maps indicating likely flight paths, and detail on road and rail congestion. A resident commented: "...There is an option ... for 'none of the above', but this is not the same as voting for no runway at all which is what I think a lot of people are still hoping for."
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Head of Gatwick Diamond tries to make out that a “silent majority” want a 2nd runway (they just don’t bother to say so)
The Gatwick Diamond is a business organisation, whose mission is to boost business in a large area around Gatwick, in all directions. They do not appear to have much environmental awareness, and have a blinkered approach of backing anything that might bring "growth." Needless to say, they give their unwavering, and uncritical, support for a 2nd Gatwick runway. There are self-interest motives for many of their members in doing so. The airport has organised a recent spate of exhibitions across the area, promoting its runway, and with a "consultation" (which gives no proper option for those responding to say NO to a runway). Despite the huge amount of money it has cost, it appears Gatwick has found the majority attending are either against its plans, or deeply sceptical. This is confirmed by the local community group, GACC, which has had a presence outside each exhibition. Now the head of the Gatwick Diamond, Jeremy Taylor, has said there is huge backing from a "silent majority" for the runway, but they just have not expressed it. Jeremy - this is how democracy works. If people do not turn up to vote for an election, it does not matter what they might have thought, sitting at home. If you don't vote, your vote does not get counted. Governments are not elected into power because somehow we manage to divine the views of those not voting.
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Flybe to start routes from London City Airport to UK and European destinations
Flybe is to offer more flights from London City Airport - from October - after signing a 5-year deal. There will be routes to and from Edinburgh, Belfast, Dublin, Inverness and Exeter. Flybe hopes these will carry about 500,000 passengers a year. Exeter-based Flybe is seeking to revive its fortunes after losses forced it to shrink its operations, close regional bases and cut hundreds of jobs. It also sold 25 pairs of arrival and departure slots at Gatwick to Easyjet for £20m. In its last set of financial results, Flybe reported pre-tax profits of £13.8m for the 6 months to 30 September, compared with a loss of £1.6m a year earlier. Earlier this year, the airline raised £150m to help fund expansion. Flybe currently operates 171 routes in 16 countries. It will also introduce to services to European ski resorts from London City airport (vital business links??), as well as to destinations in France and northern Spain.
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Gatwick employs high profile PR man Godric Smith (ex Tony Blair, Olympics, BBC) to boost runway campaign
Gatwick airport is spending a lot of money (the figure of £10 million for their PR budget has been mentioned, but this may be an under-estimate) on their lobbying to win over key hearts and minds to their runway plan. Their new campaign, with glossy adverts on the underground, large numbers of public presentations etc "Gatwick Obviously" is spending lavishly. Now Gatwick has announced that they are employing a high profile PR consultant, Godric Smith, to help them in their political battle against Heathrow, for the runway. Godric used to work as spokesman for Tony Blair. He then worked on communications for the Olympics. He was also brought in to the BBC (part time, at £150,000 per year) to sort out their bad publicity issues. Godric Smith has his own consultancy called Incorporated London. Gatwick already has existing relationships for public relations with Fishburn and London Communications Agency. Godric Smith is said to have extensive Whitehall experience and "first-class contacts across the spectrum and a very good understanding of how government works". The airport is also reviewing its digital and consumer agencies.
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Bloomberg says Heathrow claim that 3rd runway would mean lower air fares takes “a flight of imagination”
A report - by Frontier Economics - released by Heathrow last week, as part of its lobbying effort, sought to put a price on the way the airport has chosen to run at almost full capacity. The study makes out that the cost of building the new runway, terminal, changes to the road network, compensating people etc would only add £20 per ticket. Interestingly, Bloomberg Businessweek says "Heathrow officials did not respond to e-mails seeking comment" on these remarkable figures. A footnote buried on page 11 of the Frontier Economics study "notes that calculations for how much fares would fall once a 3rd runway were operational are “complicated by airline price setting,” which is typically focused on “maximizing profitability.” Indeed. " Bloomberg is not convinced that air fares would necessarily fall if a new runway was built. They cite examples of new runways in the USA, where prices have merely risen. They also say the airline alliances would make fare cuts unlikely. Airlines have no interest in cutting fares. Bloomberg says: "selling the project as a fare-lowering exercise takes a flight of imagination."
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Mole Valley MP, Sir Paul Beresford, says we cannot allow the massive environmental & other damage a 2nd Gatwick runway would bring
Sir Paul Beresford, the MP for Mole Valley, has commented on the Gatwick airport push for a new runway that "a 2nd runway has no place in Surrey." He says: "We are being asked to turn our attention to the mechanics of where a 2nd runway at Gatwick would be positioned and the exact way it would be operated. These questions are not on the forefront of the minds of my constituents. They are asking about the beautiful countryside which would be lost, the dangerous risk of flooding which would be exacerbated, the noise pollution which would become unbearable and the overpopulation of our villages. Gatwick have never provided satisfactory answers to these questions and, until they do, they must expect Mole Valley residents to keep asking them." He added: "[Constituents think] the airport is big enough as it is, and we simply cannot allow the massive environmental and other damage a second runway would bring." It would "be the equivalent of dumping an Atlantic City-sized urban sprawl onto the woodlands and fields of Surrey." The Gatwick consultation ends on 16th May.
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Green MEP Jean Lambert warns new European rules risk making London’s airports noisier
Green Party MEP, Jean Lambert, has warned that people under flight paths to all London's main airports could suffer increased noise level, especially at night. This is because the European Parliament has voted on revisions to EU rules dealing with airport noise which let economic interests override rules on noise. This will enable the European Commission to overrule flight restrictions - such as night bans - at airports. The change will leave many more people being subjected to the noise, pollution and all other miseries caused by planes. Jean said: "Instead of working to ensure stronger EU rules, to reduce the nuisance, pollution, health problems and safety risks posed by airports, the European Commission gave in to heavy lobbying from the aviation industry and the US administration". ....this...."takes on an added significance in the context of the UK Government's desire to cater for ever-increasing numbers of flights..... Instead, we need to reduce demand and explore how aviation could function within environmental limits."
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Flight Global looks at the impacts of a new south east runway on environmental constraints
Flight Global have looked at the environmental issues involved in building a new runway in the south-east. They consider noise, and appreciate that Heathrow has a serious problem and a political issue. Gatwick makes much of the lower numbers of people overflown by planes near the airport. The government has yet to decide if it will establish an independent noise ombudsman, to deal with noise issues. Even if this is introduced, Tim Johnson (Director of AEF - the Aviation Environment Federation) says “whether it has any real contribution to make over the next couple of years is quite doubtful”. Another key environmental concern linked to airport expansion is local air quality – an issue which Tim Johnson does not believe has been addressed sufficiently. The NOx pollution, largely from road traffic associated with an airport, is expensive to reduce. Colin Matthews has said that “to fix air quality at Heathrow [you need to] replace the fleet of diesel engines coming down the M4”. [How about the M25 too? ] An extra runway can only be fitted within UK carbon targets by not requiring aviation to cut its CO2 emissions cf. their 2005 level.
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Frontier Economics report for Heathrow makes out that a 3rd runway will mean lower fares
Heathrow airport has commissioned a report from Frontier Economics (a firm that has done a lot of pro-expansion reports for the industry), and it makes out that air fares will fall if a 3rd Heathrow runway is built. It is not a brilliant report. But it said what Heathrow wanted it to say. Only the FT and the Telegraph bothered to report this story. Frontier economics says the price of slots at Heathrow would fall (which they probably would) if there was a 3rd runway, as with so many new slots, it would not be possible to sell them for the prices charged today. Frontier economics say a long haul holiday would be cheaper at Heathrow in future, with a new runway. The FT comments that: "Aviation analysts said it would be difficult to calculate the saving." Indeed. The numbers are very speculative.The report is strangely silent on the - not inconsiderable - matter of the cost of building a new runway, at either Heathrow or Gatwick, and the costs needed to give a reasonably return to the investors. The Frontier Economics report contains some very contorted arguments, with some highly contrived conclusions - with much speculation.
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Hundreds turn out for first week of Gatwick 2nd runway consultation meetings
Gatwick Airport's public consultation about its 2nd runway plans have continued to draw hundreds of people to meetings and sparked a renewed protest campaign. While local residents have packed consultation meetings the Gatwick Airport Conservation Campaign (GACC) has renewed its call for the proposals to be dropped with a new drive called “Gatwick's Big Enough.” GACC has attacked the consultation itself as a “phoney” - with no proper option to say NO. New action groups have formed against the second runway proposals, in the wake of the formation of CAGNE. Gatwick Airport says at the Crawley exhibition there were 690 people; 350 at Rusper; about 370 in Smallfield; 340 in Ifield, 300 in Lingfield; 275 in Felbridge; and around 180 as far away as Epsom. GACC volunteers have been giving out leaflets and recruiting members outside the runway exhibitions. A high proportion of those attending the exhibitions are stunned by the scale of development, puzzled why there are no flight path maps, and opposed to the massive changes planned to a wide area of Surrey and Sussex.
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Location just west of Canvey Island named as BA / Solena plant to make jet fuel from London urban waste
A site for the project, by BA and Solena, to convert landfill waste into jet fuel has finally been announced, after long delays. The site will be in the Thames Enterprise Park, a regeneration project just east of London on the Thames estuary (a few miles west of Canvey Island). The site includes the redundant former Coryton Oil Refinery. Work on building the GreenSky facility is expected to start in 2015 and be completed in 2017. BA is providing construction capital and has committed to purchasing all the jet fuel produced by the plant, around 16 million gallons a year, for the next 11 years at market competitive prices. BA is hoping that this 2% contribution to its fuel consumption will give it green credibility, and it will claim it cuts its carbon emissions. In reality, if liquid fuels can be made from urban waste, there is no reason why aviation needs to be the user of them - especially as aviation intends to greatly increase its total fuel consumption in coming decades. Liquid fuels that can genuinely be considered "sustainable" could be used by any other consumer. If aviation appropriates these "sustainable" fuels, and uses increasing amounts of fuel, the net effect is that other users have to use high carbon fuels. No net benefit. Other than in (flimsy) green PR terms for BA.
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Australian government approves construction of 2nd Sydney airport at Badgerys Creek
The Australian government has approved the construction of a 2nd large airport at Badgerys Creek, in western Sydney, about 45 km west of the central business district. Prime Minister Tony Abbott said planning and design work would start immediately, with construction expected to begin in 2016. The first flights might take place by the mid-2020s. Funding would come mostly from the private sector. The idea for this airport has been around for decades, but plans to put it at Badgerys Creek were shelved for fear of backlash from local voters. Mr Abbott has made it clear he wants a curfew-free airport, so it can have flights all night. Sydney's current airport is only 8km away from the city and it operates with a curfew between 23:00 and 06:00. Opponents of building the airport at Badgerys Creek say there are better ways of dealing with airport capacity demand, by locating regional flights and cargo flights to two other nearby airports. Sydney airport already has 2 runways and is only up to 80 aircraft movements per hour during the morning and afternoon peaks. They say it is likely, due to pricing changes and competition, the new airport is unlikely to pay back its investors for years, and that proper studies of alternatives have not been looked at properly.
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Residents fear Manchester longer operating hours will mean more noise
Manchester airport has decided to extend the operating hours of its second runway. The airport built a 2nd runway, back in 2001 when it thought there would be an expansion in demand. They forecast badly, the estimates were far too high, and the runway is barely used. The airport only had some 20.6 million passengers in 2013, while over 30 million could be accommodated on one runway. Now Manchester has decided to increase the hours when flights use the 2nd runway for 3 hours per day. The hours were 4pm to 8pm, but these will be increased to 1pm to 8pm from Monday to Saturday. The decision comes after a trial last summer, and will come into force on May 1st. The 2nd runway cannot be used from 10pm to 6am, to avoid noise to local residents. In 2013 Manchester airport had a 5.2% increase in passengers over 2012, the first time it got over the 20 million mark since 2007. Manchester hopes to have a direct flight to Hong Kong from December 2014. People are worried that the extra operating hours will mean an unpleasant increase in noise.
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Letter from a Gatwick flight path trial sufferer: “Home like bizarre noise experiment”
In a heart-felt letter to a local paper in Sussex, a resident who now finds herself - without warning - under a "trial" flight path from Gatwick airport describes how it is affecting her, and her means of earning her living at home. She says the planes start flying overhead before 6am, and continue to do so about every 5 minutes, or less, most of the day. She says, in desperation: "It’s like your home has been turned into some sort of bizarre noise experiment. Where you have no control. On some days you’re OK. The noise isn’t too bad. And on other days - it’s like getting an electric shock, every few minutes. Where you have no control. And it’s not just you – it’s your family as well .... everyone is tired, and ratty and distracted. And annoyed that they didn’t sleep well." Part of her work requires running a webinair, which is now interrupted by the plane noise. "That’s my work. That’s how I make a living. And I can’t even rely on the peace and quiet of my own home to be able to run my own business."
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Latest Back Heathrow newsletter described as ” A work of art: the art of distortion”
Back Heathrow has produced its latest news-sheet and questionnaire, which has been delivered to thousands of homes. In a blog, Chair of HACAN, John Stewart, writes about how it is "A work of art. The art of not quite telling it as it is." Its front page has a heading saying “Hillingdon Council want Thousands of Houses on Airport”. That clearly implies that Hillingdon want Heathrow closed, but that is far from what they have actually said. Its leader, Ray Puddiford, has merely said that, if an Estuary Airport opened and Heathrow had to close, there would be the opportunity for the land to be used for housing and new businesses. The newsletter claims thousands of jobs are at risk if Heathrow were to close. It conveniently overlooks another key finding of the report that the impact of a second runway at Gatwick would have a ‘negligible’ impact on employment at Heathrow. Heathrow is not going to close. The newsletter also quote "residents" - but only highly selected ones. The status of "Back Heathrow" was debated at length, and questioned, at the latest Heathrow Consultative Committee on 26th March.
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GACC launch its “Gatwick’s Big Enough” campaign against any 2nd runway
The Gatwick Area Conservation Campaign, GACC, has launched its campaign against a new Gatwick runway under the slogan "Gatwick’s Big Enough." It has been carefully chosen to show that there is no opposition to the airport as it is, only to the plans to double its size. Thousands of car stickers have been posted to members with this logo. The campaign has also been attending all the Gatwick Airport exhibitions around the area, and has produced a new Fact File. This sets out the information that the airport is not telling people, on the actual impacts a new runway would have, in terms of noise, stress on infrastructure and public services, total change in the character of the area even some distance away, and deteriorating quality of life for many. In GACC's experience, having been to several Gatwick exhibitions, "It is our impression that many people go in with an open mind but come out alarmed at the scale of what is proposed" and ‘My impression was that the overwhelming majority {in Crawley} were against a new runway" and many people "were irritated by the lack of information on flight paths."
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IPCC report says transport contributes 27% of global CO2 – and could double by 2050 under BAU
The latest UN IPCC report alerts global leaders to the growing threat of uncontrolled transport emissions. The UN's climate panel says that transport is set to become the world’s biggest source of CO2 emissions unless lawmakers take strong action now. They say "The transport sector accounted for 27% of final energy use and 6.7 GtCO2 direct emissions in 2010, with baseline CO2 emissions projected to approximately double by 2050." The report states: “Without aggressive and sustained policies (to cut CO2 from cars and trucks), transport emissions could increase at a faster rate than emissions from any other sector.” Progress is being made in the EU on cars, but not much on trucks and vans. As actual car performance on CO2 on the road is not as good as the theoretical level, the EC plans to introduce a new test that closes loopholes in the current system in 2017. Air travel is only given one short mention that increased use of high speed rail should replace some short haul flights. There are some very guarded comments on biofuels (written by large committee!) which mention "the risks of increased competition for land need to be managed."
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Farnborough airport consultation on hugely expanding its airspace, for questionable reasons
Farnborough airport is consulting on its plans to hugely increase the amount of airspace it controls. This will have considerable impacts on general aviation fliers and helicopters in the area, as they would not be able to fly in the new Farnborough airspace, as at present, but would have to make large detours and fly lower, causing more noise to those living nearby. The aim of the airspace grab by Farnborough is thought to be to speed up the arrival of departure of the private jets and business jets which are the users of Farnborough, so the very few passengers per plane (about 2.7 on average, on planes designed to take hugely more) are spared any small delay. The airport has had declining numbers of flights in recent years, and is nowhere near to its target number. It is therefore surprising that the airport feels the need for such a large increase in its controlled airspace.There are real fears that this is in preparation for Farnborough attempting to expand into commercial aviation. 'Sky grabbing' for future use for a much bigger operation? TAG could make a nice profit if it sells an airport with attached airspace!
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Birmingham Airport 6-month flight path trials – due to runway extension – to begin in May
It has been confirmed that controversial ‘alternative flight plans’ proposed by Birmingham Airport are to be trialled from May, for 6 months. Birmingham Airport has been developing an Airspace Change Proposal, required for a change to departure flight paths to the south of the Airport due to the runway extension. After considering two viable options in detail - and following extensive public consultations - the airport submitted its preferred route, Option 5, to the CAA in August 2013, saying it believed the overall environmental and operational attributes of both routes considered (Options 5 and 6) were 'very marginal'. Perhaps due to news about the fury that has been generated in the Warham area by a new Gatwick flight path trial, Birmingham airport has agreed to carry out trials of both options, in order to better understand the actual impact of the proposed changes rather than theoretical modelling. The proposals sparked outrage in the affected villages when they were revealed last year. A final decision is expected in spring 2015 and the airport has reiterated that the trials are 'not a further consultation'.
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Birmingham Airport wildly optimistic in anticipating 8,000 jobs from its runway extension
David Cameron has visited Birmingham airport, and effusively welcoming the announcement that 8,000 new jobs would be created, principally as a result of the long-awaited runway extension, with anticipated direct links to destinations like the West Coast of America and China. Shamelessly linking the airport jobs announcement with totally unrelated Government tax-cutting measures, the PM boomed: “The announcement of 8,000 jobs from Birmingham Airport is more great news in a week when we are cutting tax for 26 million hard-working people and taking over three million people out of income tax altogether.” Paul Kehoe used the PM's visit for his PR purposes. Kehoe says by 2020 he forecasts Birmingham airport will have 15 million passengers a year, up from 9 million now. He claims this will create 4,000 jobs on-site and a further 4,000 in the immediate supply chain (doubtful figures, generally involving much double counting and optimism). "Politicians and business leaders are very good at talking the talk, but not always so assiduous at walking the walk."
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Study suggests London City Airport site could be put to more economically & socially efficient use by closing airport
A new report from the New Economics Foundation (NEF) makes the case for closing London’s City Airport and redeveloping the site to create more jobs, boost local business and build new homes. The report looked at the actual contribution, and the restrictions, caused by the airport on the surrounding area, and it has come to some conclusion that may seem surprising. They found London City Airport creates little value to the UK economy – despite occupying 500,000 square metres at the heart of London. Its direct contribution in 2011 was £110m – compared to £513 million generated by the nearby ExCeL Centre. It provides relatively few jobs, and restrictions on development near the airport due to the public safety zone and height restrictions in the nearby area limit many potentially more efficient uses of the land. Local residents bear all the costs but reap few of the benefits – the average salary of a London City Airport passenger is over £90,000, while 40% of Newham residents earn less than £20,000. Only about 28% of the airport jobs go to Newham people. London's transport no longer needs City Airport – City Airport’s passengers account for just 2.4% of London’s total flight demand. These passengers could be readily absorbed by Heathrow, Gatwick or Stansted. By 2019 Crossrail will allow City workers to reach Heathrow in just 30 minutes.
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Manston Airport: KLM last flight today and it ‘will not return’
KLM's last flight will leave Manston on 9th April morning. The Dutch airline has confirmed that will not return to an airport threatened by closure even if a buyer is found. Up to 150 mostly part-time jobs were put at risk last month when loss-making Manston revealed it was in talks over a possible closure. KLM then announced it would axe its Cityhopper flights from 10 April. It began operating twice-daily return flights to Amsterdam in April 2013. KLM Cityhopper managing director said it was impossible to do "business in a shaky environment". "We can't flip-flop in and out all the time. That is not the way we work." An initial offer for the airport from an unnamed buyer was withdrawn without explanation last week and there are currently no offers. Strangely, Manston is UKIP's site of choice for a new south east hub airport - they oppose Heathrow expansion. Supporters will wave off the last KLM flight with posters and banners. The airport has said it will remain operational until at least the end of April and staff would be given 10 days notice of closure thereafter. Planes are sometimes landed there in emergencies.
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Southend airport hopes it will reach 2 million passengers per year by 2015, up from below 1 million in 2013
Southend Airport is now expecting to carry 2 million passengers by 2015 - five years earlier than originally planned. It had said, only two months earlier, that it would reach 2 million passengers per year by 2020. Passenger numbers at Southend were 970,000 in 2013 and are predicted to be 1.3 million this year. By contrast, before the arrival of easyJet, there were some 42,000 passengers in 2011. A £10m extension to the airport terminal was formally opened by the Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin in February 2014. The extension marks the end of a £120m revamp by the Stobart Group, which bought the airport in 2008. The growth in numbers of flights has caused a lot more noise for local residents now finding themselves over-flown. The local community group, SAEN, say they will continue to oppose the airport's expansion plans, due to the noise nuisance - and particularly if the airport tries to alter its operating hours. There is also more road congestion, as the airport is only served by one small road.
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ACI report says small airports with under 1 million passengers per year in danger of making losses
According to the 2013 ACI Economics Report, which is to be released shortly, some 67% of the world’s airport’s operate at a net loss. The report says that globally about 80% of airports handling less than 1 million passengers per year have average net losses of 6%. Of the airports that made a loss in 2012, 93% of the handled under 1 million passengers. It therefore appears that the small airports are very fragile. ACI World’s director general, said: “While the industry as a whole is profitable, with airports posting net profit margins in the realm of 13%, a significant proportion of airports are actually in the red. Industry profitability is primarily generated from the 20% of airports that carry the bulk of passenger traffic. Size matters.” In the UK some of the airports with below 1 million passengers in 2013 were Cardiff, Southend, Exeter, Doncaster/Sheffield, Bournemouth, Blackpool and Durham Tees Valley. ACI also advocated more arrangements between airlines and airports on the level of fees and charges, and less government regulation.
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Protest in Brussels as new flight paths over-fly new areas, giving some respite to those previously heavily over-flown
In Brussels there has, for a long time, been a problem because of the division between the French speaking south of the city, and the Flemish speaking north. The airport is to the north east of the city, and traditionally the people living to the north have complained bitterly that they have had a disproprotionate number of flights, while many affluent areas to the south have had no over-flying. From the 6th February the government has brought in new flight paths, which disperse take-offs towards the west, so more fly over the areas to the south of the city. Flights start at 6am and continue to 11pm, though the new routes are meant to not be used for Saturday evening and during Sunday, if there isn't a strong westerly wind. There has been huge protest in Brussels about this change, with furious citizens incensed that their peace, and their quality of life has been reduced. The changes have brought some relief to the other areas which previously took more than their fair share of the noise. Petitions and protests have been set up, and it is uncertain what will happen next. The situation is complicated by Belgian politics, and the separate interests of Flemish and Walloon sections of society.
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France: The UMP (Union pour un Mouvement Populair) has used and abused lobbying to save unnecessary airports
The issue of small European airports receiving substantial government subsidies continues to be highly controversial. A French article (imperfect translation into English) says dozens of airports in France are not profitable and only stay in business due to public subsidies, and that this is continuing because of the intense and effective lobbying of the right wing party, the UMP (Union pour un Mouvement Populair - which Sarkozy used to lead). Small airports have been kept afloat, though making large losses, and sometimes when they are ludicrously close to other airports. In the Languedoc-Roussillon region, which has the second highest largest number of flights by low cost airlines, the subsidies continue as there is fear a cut would drive away the no-frills carriers and the tourists they bring. allocation rules. The state aid rules were recently announced, and were dismissed by T&E as giving "carte blanche to airports and airlines which are guilty of mismanagement in the past". The subsidy system continues to give substantial benefits to Ryanair, which is a key recipient.
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Heathrow 3rd runway – for “the sovereign wealth funds which control the business & want the best possible return”
A piece in the Observer, written by an un-named author, keen on a Heathrow 3rd runway, sums up the both the undesirability of a new Heathrow runway and its impossibility. Here are a few quotes from it. Its title, on he resignation of Colin Matthews, sums up its style: "Heathrow needs a flashier pilot now."...." But Matthews's operational success has made him the wrong person for the next phase of the job – not least for the sovereign wealth funds who control the business and want the best possible return. And that means a third or fourth runway." .... "The airport's owners needs a leader who can persuade the public – particularly in west London – as well as the three main political parties, that a new runway is in Britain's best interests. This will require showmanship.".... "With many west Londoners in marginal constituencies unlikely to ever be won over by the case for a bigger Heathrow, ministers and opposition leaders will need persuading that the political cost is worth it. So the new Heathrow chief executive will need charm and political nous."
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Gatwick’s 1st runway consultation exhibition – met with spirited opposition by those to be badly affected
Gatwick airport has started a period of 6 weeks of consultation on its plans for a 2nd runway. The consultation is something of a PR exercise, as the Airports Commission has only short listed the wide spaced runway option. Gatwick Airport is, for some reason best known to itself, including the narrow spaced runway (which it does not want) in the consultation options. There is a series of exhibitions planned, by Gatwick airport, in a number of towns and villages over the coming weeks, with the first today in Crawley - the town which might be the worst affected by a 2nd runway. There was spirited opposition by people fighting plans for a new runway, and especially those who have recently found themselves under a new "trial" flight path. Feedback from the exhibition was that it was well attended, by several hundred people, many of whom appeared to be against a new runway. One of their questions was how to fill in the forms, to clearly convey their opposition to any runway - there is just one box people can tick, on the last page, in Section D, "None of these options."
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Lydd airport has appointed a consultant for its expansion, but result of 2 legal challenges still awaited
Lydd airport has put out a press release, giving the impression that it is already getting on with building its 294 metre runway extension (plus a 150m starter extension). However, in reality, it has merely appointed some consultants. The airport is still waiting the result of the legal appeal against its planning application. There were two separate legal challenges against the application; one from the RSPB and one from the local community group, LAAG. If the appeal of either is accepted by the judge, the planning consent could be quashed. If that were the case, and one appeal won, the planning application has to be re-determined on the subject matters under question. Lydd is saying it has appointed Capita to design and manage its runway extension. Capita helped design Crossrail, and its job at Lydd would be to provide project, cost, construction and design management services for the airport as well as civil and aviation design services. Lydd says it is nearing completion of a number of pre-commencement conditions required to enable planning permission for the runway extension to be implemented.
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Local MPs are asking for “practical support” (ie. government funds) to keep Manston open
The government has been urged to step in over the threatened closure of Manston Airport, after an offer from an unnamed buyer was withdrawn. Up to 150 mostly part-time jobs were placed at risk last month when the airport revealed it was in talks over a possible closure. Kent MP Sir Roger Gale told the Commons it was a significant blow. Mr Gale said Manston was both a search and rescue facility and a location capable of taking diverted aircraft. The Leader of the Commons, Andrew Lansley, has pledged to raise the issue with Transport ministers. He said: "I'm sure the House [of Commons] will completely understand and endorse indeed, his view of the importance of regional airports, in this instance Manston." Mr Gale and South Thanet MP Laura Sandys met business minister Michael Fallon. The two Kent MPs issued a joint statement saying: "If the future of the airport can be secured under new ownership we believe that very considerable practical support will be forthcoming from both the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and the DfT. ...Added to the backing of Kent County Council and Thanet District Council this adds up to a considerable force for success."
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Gatwick consultation published: A proper consultation would have given the public a straightforward chance to say ‘No’
Gatwick Airport Limited (GAL) has put forward 3 options for a 2nd runway at Gatwick and is now asking for comment from the public to its consultation. They key omission in their consultation is a proper option to say NO to any new runway. A proper consultation would have given the public a straightforward chance to say ‘No’ at the start of the response form. As it is, there is a small box buried in section D with the option of "None of these options". Gatwick is asking people to choose between a narrow spaced runway (something the airport does not want, as it would not be practical - so it cannot be considered a serious option) and whether a wide spaced runway (1045 metres south of the existing runway) should be used for both landings and take offs, or for just landings or take offs, at one time. The Airports Commission has effectively already ruled out the narrow spaced runway, so its inclusion in the consultation seems to be a bit of a PR exercise. The purpose of the consultation is to help Gatwick get their runway plans approved, and if possible, keep public opposition to a minimum. Consultation ends 16th May (which is the date all runway proposals must be submitted to the Airports Commission).
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GACC describes Gatwick consultation as “plush and bogus” – it gives no proper chance to say “no” to a new runway
The consultation published by Gatwick Airport today is described by GACC (the Gatwick Area Conservation Campaign) as ‘plush but bogus.’ It is plush because no expense has been spared in an attempt to make a new Gatwick runway look inevitable. But it makes no economic or environmental sense to build a new Gatwick runway when Stansted is not forecast to be full until around 2040. It is bogus because the Airports Commission has already ruled out Option 1, the close-parallel runway. GACC’s objections remain as strong as ever. They will campaign vigorously against any new runway. The consultation document contains no maps showing future flight paths - which is an issue of huge significance to local people. It also ignores the inconvenient issue of necessary increases in landing fees, to pay for a runway + terminal. The consultation is deeply flawed, as it gives no proper option to oppose any new runway. There is merely one small option of "None of these options" buried in its section D. That is difficult to find and somewhat confusing (it could mean a preference for some other runway location). A proper consultation would have given the public a straightforward chance to say ‘No’.
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European Parliament votes to continue with partial inclusion of aviation in weakened ETS – for intra-EU flights only till at least 2016
The European Parliament voted on 3rd April to alter the ETS so that, instead of airlines being charged for all the carbon of flights into and out of the EU, the scheme will only cover carbon emissions for intra-EU flights. This is the "Stop the Clock" (STC) deal, which started in 2013. It means charges for CO2 emissions will be made for flights by European airlines, and for the very few by non-EU airlines between European airports. This severe weakening of the ETS has been caused by relentless pressure from foreign powers (USA, China, India and Russia as the main opponents), and means the ETS will only cover a small fraction of total aviation carbon emissions associated with flights to and from all European countries. The vote on 3rd reverses the position taken by the European Parliament's environment committee last month, when it rejected the change to intra-EU flights only, and very narrowly voted on a compromise that would have required non-EU flights to still pay for their CO2 emissions within EU airspace. The "Stop the Clock" weak version of the ETS will now run until the end of 2016 and the agreement allows for a return to the original full scope of the scheme from 2017 should an agreement at ICAO to implement a global market-based mechanism from 2020 not be reached at its Assembly in 2016.
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Heathrow business case looks shaky if it had to give £100 million + per year noise compensation to households
Wandsworth Council leader Ravi Govindia says Heathrow’s business case is beginning to look very shaky. Heathrow's owners would have to spend £100 million every year to households around the airport if it is to match Gatwick’s new noise compensation offer. In its PR efforts to win over local opposition, Gatwick has offered to pay £1,000 each to existing homes inside a 57 decibel catchment around the airport, once (if) a 2nd runway is built. This would include 4,100 homes, and the cost would be £4.1 million per year. Wandsworth calculates payments on this scale would cost Heathrow about £100 million per year. Gatwick has also offered to pay up to 2,000 qualifying local households a one-off grant of up to £3,000 towards noise insulation. If Heathrow was to match the terms of this scheme it could cost the airport a further £210 million per year. M r Govindia said the Airports Commission must give proper consideration to the "real noise impact of an airport set in the most densely populated part of the country. ....Once you weigh the real environmental costs - and those for improved surface access - against the claimed benefits of an additional runway, Heathrow’s business case begins to look very shaky."
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Concerns over UK tourism as Europe improves Schengen visa system
The European Commission has unveiled proposals to make it easier for legitimate tourists and business people from countries such as China to visit countries which are part of the 26-nation Schengen agreement. The UK is not a member. The EC believes the plans, speeding up and simplifying the application process, could encourage an increase of up to 60% in trips to Schengen nations from China, India, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa and the Ukraine. The EC hopes this would increase a large increase (€130 billion over 5 years perhaps) to the EC countries, and increase (they say 1.3 million) jobs in tourism and other related industries. Some businesses in the UK that benefit from high spending non-EC tourists have lobbied for years for the UK to join the Schengen visa, which covers 26 other European countries. At present visitors have to obtain a separate UK visa, which is a bureaucratic and time consuming process. Some businesses fear the UK will lose out on high spending tourists if the UK system stays the same, but the Schengen visa process is simplified. The tourists are, of course, not deterred by any lack of airport capacity - as has been claimed.
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Airports Commission publishes final version of its Appraisal Framework for short-listed runway schemes
The Airports Commission has published its final Appraisal Framework which is the document it will use to assess the 3 short-listed options for one net new additional runway. There was a consultation draft of the appraisal framework, in January. The Appraisal Framework sets out how the Commission expects the runway scheme designs to be developed, and how the schemes will be appraised by the Commission. The deadline for scheme submissions is now 14th May (not 9th). The Appraisal Framework has a list of "sift criteria categories" which are: strategic fit, economy, surface access, environment, people, cost, operational viability, and delivery. Within these categories are a list of "appraisal modules" with things like "noise, air quality, biodiversity, carbon, water and flood risk, and place" under environment. The Commission hopes "The objectives conform to the principles of mitigating and adapting to climate change and achieving good design, and they should ensure that schemes balance national, local and commercial interests." It adds that " it is unlikely that proposals will meet each objective to an equal degree and that an element of ‘trade off’ between objectives might therefore be required."
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China’s trade war threats over aviation emissions “not serious”, MEPs say
The European Parliament is expected to give its final say to the highly disputed issue of aviation's inclusion in the ETS on 3rd April. The Chinese president is ending a trip to Europe, during which a 10 year deal was agreed between Airbus and China that planes could be assembled in China till 2025. This is seen as an argument for MEPs in favour of a stronger European stance on carbon emissions trading in the aviation sector. MPs against the European Parliament giving in to pressure from other countries to weaken its ETS said that the Airbus/China deal showed that the threats of a trade war if the EU did not give in were not as serious as had been made out. The deal, according to one MEP "will make my position even easier to defend ....we should not bend to economic blackmail" which is what the Chinese have been doing. Another said the EU should "... stick to our principles and stop this incessant wavering whenever the slightest signs of trouble appear, then we'd be much better positioned to achieve real progress on the international stage."
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Heathrow airport boss Colin Matthews to leave some time after June – replacement later this year
Heathrow has started the search for a new chief executive after announcing that Colin Matthews is to stand down after 6 years in charge. Colin Matthews took up the job in March 2008 after the shambolic Terminal 5 opening. As well as operating Britain's main international hub airport, his successor faces a tough political challenge of trying to persuade the 3 main parties to back a 3rd Heathrow runway. Matthews said that "once Terminal 2 has opened later this year (due 4th June), I have decided the time is right to pass on the baton. "He said he would be 70 by 2026, when a new runway (if it ever got built) would open, and it would not be possible for him to see it through till then. The Guardian considers the most prominent internal candidate to be the development director, John Holland-Kaye, who is charged with the Terminal 2 revamp. However previous appointments have come from outside the airport group. Matthews will remain in place until his successor is in place to ensure a smooth transition.
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Consortium withdraws offer for threatened Manston Airport
The consortium that had been interested in taking over Manston Airport has withdrawn its offer and pulled the plug on the deal. Thanet North MP Roger Gale had been involved in trying to broker a deal between owner Ann Gloag and the prospective buyer, but it is not known why the potential deal has not worked out. The identity of the would-be buyer has not been revealed. The business has been damaged by the threat of closure. Roger Gale said: "That offer has been withdrawn for legal reasons and whether a further offer will be made I don't know." There are apparently still hopes that two other people have shown an interest in the site, to keep it running as an airport. The 45-day consultation with staff over possible closure will continue.
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Hillingdon Leader unveils vision with 2 scenarios of future Heathrow without the airport
The Leader of Hillingdon Council has set out his vision for the redevelopment of the Heathrow site should the government decide that a new hub airport ought to be built elsewhere in the south east. There has been a lot of scare mongering promoted by Heathrow, and its lobbying campaign, "Back Heathrow" to cause concern that jobs in the Heathrow area would be lost if a 3rd runway was not allowed. On the same day that Boris set out his own 4 scenarios for the area, if Heathrow closed, Hillingdon now sets out its 2 possible scenarios, in its "Heathrow Park: A Better Future for Heathrow." These are: (1). A smaller West London Airport similar in scale to City Airport; with "Heathrow Park" delivering 31,000 homes for an estimated 67,000 people, and including those at the airport, around 72,000 jobs. (2). If Heathrow Airport closed completely Hillingdon anticipate the creation of "Heathrow Park" with up to 45,000 homes (30% affordable) for nearly 100,000 people, with over 66,000 jobs and a wide range of education, health, public open space and community facilities. In the 2nd scenario, For both scenarios, the principle settlement of Heathrow Gardens and the surrounding ‘urban villages’ will be centred on existing tube and rail networks to maximise connectivity.
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Boris sets out his 4 ideas for future of Heathrow site if airport is closed
Boris has produced a report on what might happen to Heathrow and its surrounding area, if the airport was shut (and a massive airport built on the Thames estuary). The report sets out 4 schemes. Boris says he is "prompting a genuine, honest discussion about what London could achieve in a world post Heathrow.” He said: “The money seems to be going on Gatwick, but I do not think that is the long-term solution that London needs – in having a dual hub solution." The 4 schemes are for a new education and technology quarter, with 2 new large campus universities; a new town, with over 48,000 homes for 112,000 people and 76,000 jobs created in total ; a new residential quarter, on the scale of Hammersmith and Fulham, with 82,000 new homes supporting a population of 200,000, and 54,000 jobs; or a Heathrow City, with education and commercial research, high value manufacturing,knowledge parks and office development - with 80,000 homes and 90,000 jobs created. The report says many of the jobs currently provided at Heathrow would "move to the new airport and be easily accessible via the world class transport links proposed." There is a separate report by Hillingdon.
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Accenture cuts its CO2 emissions per employee by 36% over 5 years, partly due to flying less
The large global consultancy firm, Accenture, has released figures in its corporate citizenship report showing it has cut its carbon emissions per employee by 36% compared to its emissions in 2007. It says this has largely been achieved by increased use of video conferencing rather than flying, and also green procurement standards. Accenture says its CO2 emissions per person have now fallen from 4.0 metric tons to 2.6 metric tons per year, and over 80% is from flying + use of electricity. They champion "sustainable growth" [oxymoron] by using virtual collaboration technologies and exploring alternative travel arrangements. The company's total carbon emissions have risen by 26% between 2009 and 2013, as the company grew. The proportion of total CO2 emissions from flying is around 51% and has been that level (51% - 56%) since 2009. The carbon savings by Accenture mirror the savings achieved by companies working with the WWF-UK "One in Five" campaign which encourages a number of large UK firms to cut their flying by 20% over 5 years. Many far surpassed this target.
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EasyJet 10 year deal with Luton airport to increase passengers from 4 to 9 million per year
easyJet has announced the signing of a new 10-year price deal with Luton which could lead to easyJet expanding from 4 million to 9 million passengers per year. EasyJet started off its life at Lution, in 1995. There are, of course, the usual claims about the large number of jobs that would be created - some 2,500 job, they suggest. Luton has a small proportion of business passengers (around 19% in 2010) and 80% of its customers are charter airlines for cheap beach etc "bucket and spade" holidays abroad. The airport also boasts that it is "the biggest airport in the UK for private jets." Commenting on the easyJet deal, the local opposition group, HALE said they were very concerned about the extra noise that would be caused by this huge rise in number of flights, and they want a commitment from easyJet to a clear timetable for introduction of quieter airframes and engines. EasyJet are currently switching from A319s to the larger, heavier and currently noisier A320, which won't help. HALE are also worried that the expansion of easyJet will mean even earlier departure slots and even later arrivals slots. At present Luton's expansion plans at Luton, which involve extending the airport’s terminal and improving road access, are currently on hold pending a decision by the Secretary of State whether to "call in" the application or not
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New campaign group – CAGNE – formed to protest against Gatwick Airport noise
A new campaign group has formed in the Gatwick area, protesting against aircraft noise. Gatwick airport has been attempting to get good PR by claiming to do more than other airports to manage its aircraft noise. However, infuriated residents living under a newly created departures flight path have formed the new group, called Communities Against Gatwick Noise and Emissions (CAGNE). It already has more than 300 frustrated members across Sussex, who are particularly angry at new flightpaths, of which the airport deliberately gave no prior notice. People at the villages of Rusper and Warnham, west of Crawley - which used to be quiet - have been horrified to find themselves subjected to relentless aircraft noise. Sally Pavey, a CAGNE member, said: "This is bringing misery to thousands of people and destroying the tranquility of parts of Sussex. It is wrong that all we can do is telephone the answer phone at Gatwick Airport to complain. ....we do not know if each complaint will be logged separately or if our address is only logged once." CAGNE has launched an online petition calling on the DfT to stop the new flightpaths. The usual blandishment from the airport was that they "continue to take a responsible approach to noise reduction and mitigation."
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IPCC report sets out impacts, risks and threats of rising CO2 to security, food and human well being
The IPCC has released the report from its 2nd working group as part of its 5th Assessment Report (AR5). This comprehensive report is entitled "Climate Change 2014: Impacts, Adaptation, and Vulnerability." It sets out more clearly, and warns more starkly, than it has done in previous reports, the extent of the widespread and serious negative effects of climate change. They say every part of the world will be affected, and urgent action is now needed both to reduce carbon emissions, and to adapt to the inevitable changes that will happen. The report deals with food security, water supplies and human health, among other topics, and it says rising atmospheric CO2 will mean global warming could undermine economic growth and increase poverty, and the chance of conflics. The warnings on future ability to grow food, for an every growing human population, is chilling. Negative impacts can only worsen if global average temperature is allowed to rise by 2 degrees C and the IPCC warns that by impacts may become potentially catastrophic to human societies if temperatures rise higher than 4C, which is what we should expect if global temperatures continue to rise as predicted without drastic emissions cuts. [How does a rapidly growing, very high carbon, aviation industry fit into this future?]
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Cardiff to Anglesey air link continues to get large government subsidy as bus grants are slashed
The Welsh Government has defended a big increase in subsidy for the North-South Wales air service while it cuts funding for lifeline bus services. From 2010-11 to 2012-13, subsidy for the flights between Anglesey and Cardiff increased by 37.2%. Subsidy was £184 for each passenger who used the service in 2012-13. Over the same 2-year period, the Welsh government reduced its grant to councils for unprofitable bus services by 29.2%. At least 94 bus routes have been withdrawn since 2011. Other services are under review because subsidy per passenger exceeds £2 or £3. The Welsh Government has been reviewing bus funding since early 2012 – but has not evaluated the air service’s costs and benefits since the global financial problems and major reductions in public-sector budgets. The route from Cardiff to Anglesey has 2 flights each way, each weekday, and there were almost 15,000 passenger journeys in 2008-09, but only 8,406 passenger journeys in 2012-13. Subsidy for the air operator and the civilian air terminal at RAF Valley on Anglesey increased from £1.08m in 2008-09 to £1.55m in 2012-13.
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Swiss plane engine ‘blew up’ on runway just before take-off at London City airport
It has been reported that an engine blew up on a Swiss International Airlines plane waiting to take off from London City airport, while it was powering up its engines seconds before it was due to leave start its take off. The airport said that 4 people needed treatment for minor injuries after Geneva-bound LX437 (an Avro RJ100) with 74 passengers and 4 crew on board suffered an engine problem. The pilot aborted the take off. A passenger reported that "There was a large bang and flames which grew and grew and large chunks of what looked like chunks of red-hot metal started flying up. People started freaking out.....In about 20 seconds we would have been in the air." The runway at the east London airport was closed for more than an hour after the incident at 3pm on Thursday. Three people were treated at the scene for minor injuries by the London ambulance service. It is not the first incident to feature an RJ100 at the airport. In February 2009, a BA flight from Amsterdam crash-landed when one of its wheels failed.
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Stansted Managing Director tells London that Stansted is “solution” to aviation capacity demand
Stansted boss, Andrew Harrison, says the airport can meet London's growing aviation needs over the next 15 years. He was speaking at the inaugural London Infrastructure Summit on March 27th. He said Stansted could more than double the amount of flights it handles and that improving rail links into London would be key to unlocking its full potential. The Summit focused on the importance of infrastructure to London’s overall competitiveness. Andrew Harrison said Stansted has the infrastructure and planning permission to handle 35 million passengers (up from 17.8 million in 2013) per year, and the ability to handle a further 10 million passengers beyond that. That is around the capacity of one runway, fully used, especially with larger planes than at present. Stansted intends to "grasp the opportunity" in the period before any new runway (if one is ever agreed) could be built, to "make the best possible use of Stansted." Some rail improvements, which could be implemented quickly, might cut the train journey time to London by 10 minutes.
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easyJet says it would fly from Heathrow, “if it was right for us” debunking Gatwick’s Heathrow myth
Gatwick airport, in its bid to try to pursuade the powers-that-be of its suitability as the site of a new runway, has often said that the low cost airlines would not fly from Heathrow. However, easyJet has now said that it would consider flying from an expanded Heathrow. Carolyn McCall, the chief executive of easyJet, said it would look at flying from Heathrow in future “if it was right for us”, and it if wasn't too expensive. Gatwick claims that the increase in demand for air travel will be for short haul flights, mainly to Europe or countries adjacent to Europe. Heathrow claims the demand for air travel in future will be long haul. According to Gatwick’s chief executive, Stewart Wingate, Heathrow is inaccessible for low-cost airlines and charter carriers due to its high landing charges. But Ms McCall points out that easyJet already flies to and from other hub airports in Europe, such as Schiphol, Rome Fiumicino and Paris Charles de Gaulle. Though Heathrow has high landing charges, so do the other European hub airports. Ms McCall made her comments shortly after easyJet announced a 7-year pricing deal with Gatwick and revealed it is in discussions to take over the airport’s north terminal, potentially forcing out British Airways. It made no mention of a 2nd Gatwick runway.
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Gatwick hopes noise compensation pledge will help it win battle for a new runway
As competition hots up to persuade the Airports Commission, and ultimately Parliament, on their own cases for building a new runway, Gatwick and Heathrow have both stressed the importance of dealing with the aircraft noise issue, or at least hoping people believe they are dealing with it. Gatwick has committed to pay annual compensation of around £1,000 to local households most affected by aircraft noise should it receive approval for a 2nd runway. Heathrow, meanwhile, has pointed to a [dubious] survey it commissioned from Populus that aircraft noise is only the 7th most important aspect of a London airport for Londoners. The Gatwick scheme would only pay up when a new runway starts to be used, and might affect around 4,100 households inside the 57 db(A) Leq noise contour. The compensation would not be paid to new residents choosing to relocate to the area once the runway is built. Earlier Gatwick announced plans to offer hundreds of local homes up to £3,000 towards double glazing and loft insulation to mitigate aircraft noise. This level of payment if offered at Heathrow would be vastly more expensive, by several orders of magnitude.
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Gatwick airport PR onslaught continues: it claims a 2nd runway would bring “Olympic-style boost”
Gatwick airport continues its PR barrage, in its attempt to be chosen to be allowed a new runway. It is arguing that the way the aviation industry will develop in future will make large hub airports obsolete. The airport claims a new runway would regenerate a swath of the South East from London to the coast and create thousands of jobs, across the Gatwick Diamond and beyond. They have hired Sir Terry Farrell to design and promote their plan, and he has said: “An extra runway at Gatwick and a new transformed airport here would provide for London – from the south, Croydon and going north – a bigger economic boost than the Olympics.....It’s an area that is waiting to have this kind of input.” He probably means there is unspoilt countryside in the area around Gatwick. The claims of benefit from a 2nd runway include promises of jobs as far away as Brighton and Hastings, and "an extra 19,000 jobs in sectors such as retail, construction and ground handling" by 2050." At present there are about 22,000 to 25,000 jobs at Gatwick. They claim they can build the runway for £5bn to £9bn. The Airports Commission says the cost would be £10 - 13 billion including surface access improvements.
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Norwegian airport operator Avinor to invest heavily in national aviation biofuel production
Norway’s state-owned airport operator and air navigation services provider Avinor has said it will contribute up to $16.5 million equivalent over a 10-year period to help develop an aviation biofuel sector in Norway. Avinor said that its alleged "carbon neutral growth" could only be achieved if biofuels are a key part of the solution. Norwegian advocates of aviation biofuel say biomass for producing biofuels should be reserved for the transport sector, in particular aviation, where there are few alternative options to fossil fuels. They claim aviation is key in getting tourist money into Norway, and regional development - and for some reason, they should be getting whatever biofuel is available, claiming “This is a matter of both social responsibility and benefit to society.” The Norwegian aviation industry may be aware that they are seen as high carbon, but appear not to comprehend that if aviation claims any genuinely low carbon fuels, that merely means some other sector is likely to have to use higher carbon fuel instead. Not everything can use renewably sourced electricity. The carbon emissions are merely shifted elsewhere, for aviation to try to look "green."
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Local farmer wins legal challenge on Carlisle airport expansion and freight distribution
Local farmer, Gordon Brown, who farms at Irthington close to Carlisle airport, has won another round in the long battle against the expansion of Carlisle Airport and its cargo distribution centre. The High Court judge, Mr Justice Collins, ruled that planners had failed to properly consider the viability of the plans. He allowed the challenge by Thomas Brown, and quashed the latest planning permission for a new freight storage and distribution facility at the airport. The judge said that Brown’s claim succeeded, though only on one ground, put forward by him - which was the failure by the council planners to consider the viability of the expansion plans properly. The decision was said to be borderline, and "by no means straight forward," had taken years, and generated an "excessive" amount of paperwork. The latest round of the legal battle comes more than 3 years after Brown won a ruling from London's Court of Appeal quashing the council's previous grant of planning permission. Whether there will be an appeal against today’s ruling is not yet known.
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Tui’s Chief Executive Peter Long calls for staggered school holidays – to cut prices?
Tui's Chief Exec, Mr Long, has suggested that parents who send their children to private schools, which break up earlier than state schools, should pay more because “they can afford it.” He has apparently discussed this with the Dept for Education, and wants different counties to stagger school breaks to "enable holiday costs at peak periods to come down." The higher costs in peak time are, or course, because the travel companies choose to put their charges up then - the whole holiday industry capitalises on the higher demand. Mr Long said the price difference between a holiday booked at the beginning of July (some private schools break up in early July) and one for the start of August was 20%. The industry wants a widening of the main holiday periods so that, in fact, they can charge more for holidays for more weeks, by spreading the demand. He seems to be a bit confused between private school parents, and staggering term dates between regions. Parents who scrimp and save and go without many consumer delights in order to pay for private school fees, are incensed by Mr Long's proposals and lack of understanding.
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Developments of “sustainable” jet fuels continue ponderously, hoping to ramp up supply
In a thorough over-view of current progress by various airlines and biofuel companies across the world, GreenAir Online goes through the main initiatives. In London, it is possible that the British Airways and Solena plant, to make jet fuel from London's rubbish, might start to be built in 2015, though a site has not yet been announced. KLM is hoping to do flights from Amsterdam starting in May using biofuels produced by the ITAKA consortium – a Europe-wide collaboration of interests involving Airbus, Embraer, Neste Oil, SkyNRG, Manchester Metropolitan University and others. This was intended to use camelina grown in Spain as the main source of biomass for the fuel but this has proved “challenging”. Used cooking oil is therefore likely to be the source of the fuel for the May flights. There are initiatives in the Middle East with Etihad working with Boeing, Honeywell UOP, Safran and the Masdar Institute. In Abu Dhabi, there is an initiative developing the Integrated Seawater Energy and Agriculture System (ISEAS) that grows salt-water tolerant Salicornia halophyte plants for use as biomass to produce fuels. And there are others - still expensive, still experimental, still not actually "green" or "sustainable."
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British Airways + Solena plant to make jet fuel from London’s rubbish – announcement soon?
GreenAir online gives an update on the anticipated biofuel plant (costing around $500 million) to be built in east London, to produce diesel and jet fuel. GreenAir says that according to British Airways’ a 20-acre (8ha) site has been selected for its GreenSky project with Solena and an announcement is expected within weeks. Getting the required planning permission had proved “extremely challenging." GreenSky will convert around 600,000 tonnes of London municipal waste into 50,000 tonnes of biojet and 50,000 tonnes of biodiesel annually, and will - they hope - meet BA’s total fuel needs at London City Airport. BA hope they can claim annual carbon savings of up to 145,000 tonnes of CO2. “It’s very much a demonstration plant for us. If we can prove this works commercially then we will build a number of them in the UK – potentially up to six – at this scale or even bigger." “The economics is driven by a current UK landfill tax of about £80 per tonne, so the scheme hopes to get the rubbish cheaply - saving councils the landfill tax. Under its 10-year contract with Solena, BA will purchase all the fuel produced by the plant. They hope to start building in early 2015 and start producing fuel in 2017.
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Penn Medicine researchers show how lost sleep might lead to lost brain neurons
Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine have found evidence that not getting enough sleep does actual harm to the brain. Instead of the usual solution of inadequate sleep, of trying to catch up on the hours when time permits, the Penn Medicine research indicates that chronic sleep loss may be more serious than previously thought and may even lead to irreversible physical damage to and loss of brain cells. It seems extended wakefulness is linked to injury to, and loss of, neurons that are essential for alertness and optimal cognition, the locus coeruleus (LC) neurons. There is a change in a protein linked to mitochondrial energy production in the cells. The research is published in the prestigious Journal of Neuroscience. The research so far is in mice, and involved normal rest, short wakefulness, or extended wakefulness. In humans there is some earlier evidence that attention span and several other aspects of cognition may not normalize even with 3 days of recovery sleep, after sleep deprivation, raising the question of lasting injury in the brain. Researchers say more work needs to be done to establish whether a similar phenomenon occurs in humans and to determine what durations of wakefulness place individuals at risk of neural injury.
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John Stewart blog: “Doing nothing about noise at Heathrow is not an option”
In a blog for HACAN, John Stewart considers the aircraft noise problem for people living at Brockley, in south east London, some 20 miles away from Heathrow. They suffer from planes over head every 2 minutes for much of each day, at around 4,500 feet. But they are not considered conventionally to have an aircraft noise problem. After speaking at a meeting in Brockley about the noise, and then visiting the headquarters of NATS to see their air traffic control systems, John was struck by the lights on the screens illustrating just how many planes affect people far from Heathrow. More than one million people live within 20 miles of Heathrow, along those approach paths. Around a third of those – the people living closer to Heathrow – get a half day’s break when the planes change runways at 3pm. The rest, like Brockley, get no such relief.. John says his visit to NATS "showed me that doing something is difficult" .... "doing nothing about noise at Heathrow is not an option".... perhaps a solution would be "for planes to join the approach path much closer to Heathrow." ..."I didn’t ask NATS about the impact of a third runway at Heathrow. I didn’t really need to. If 480,000 flights a year severely restrict NATS' room for manoeuvre, 740,000 would light up the air traffic controller’s screen with a brightness yet unseen."
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Zac Goldsmith and HACAN launch short film contest over Heathrow 3rd runway plan
Tory MP for Richmond Park and North Kingston, and environmental campaigner, Zac Goldsmith has launched a film competition (with HACAN) to highlight opposition to a 3rd Heathrow runway - with £10,000 as the first prize. In an escalation of the anti-expansion campaign at Heathrow, Zac Goldsmith has also recruited celebrities to the cause with actor Hugh Grant and former Tory MP Giles Brandreth among the competition judges. Entrants to the competition will need to submit a short film (under 2 minutes) to highlight opposition to the runway. Shortlisted entries will be judged by the panel at a gala evening of 800 guests at the Richmond Theatre on 18th June with the prize money provided by Zac. The competition is called “No Ifs, No Buts”, recalling David Cameron’s infamous pre-election pledge made in 2009 to an audience in Richmond not to allow a 3rd runway to be built at Heathrow. The competition is looking for powerful messages that will be taken up on social and conventional media, and ram home the message that Heathrow expansion is not only the wrong solution for our economy, it is politically undeliverable. The closing date for video entries is 1st June.
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Gatwick argues against need for a hub airport – just more point-to-point flights
Gatwick is arguing that aviation is evolving to make hub airports obsolete - as the future is in more point to point flights. This is in Gatwick's self interest, in its fight against Heathrow, to be chosen as the potential site for a new runway. Gatwick says Britain will have less need for a big hub airport like Heathrow because of the way the aviation industry is evolving, and because the rise of low-cost airlines means Britain will have ever more short-haul flights, which are mostly into Europe. Gatwick has commissioned research to back up its case, which it will present with the architect Sir Terry Farrell on 25th March. Sir Howard Davies has repeatedly made the point that the distinction is between hub and spoke, or point to point aviation models for the future - the industry is highly internally divided on this. Gatwick says a 2nd Gatwick runway would allow 10 million more passengers to fly per year by 2050 - most to Europe or near destinations - than if Heathrow were to add a 3rd runway, with its focus on lower demand, longer haul destinations. For the UK as a whole, about 70% of air passengers were on short haul trips in 2013.
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SSE asks Michael O’Leary what exactly he means by a “new” route….
Stop Stansted Expansion are asking Michael O'Leary some questions about the dubious publicity that Ryanair puts out, repeatedly, about its new flights and destinations - for destinations to which it already flies. Ryanair routinely publicises "new" routes time after time. The "new" routes to Bordeaux and Rabat have been announced three times so far - in Ryanair press releases in September 2013, February 2014 and March 2014. SSE asks Mr O'Leary “What exactly do you mean by new?” In conjunction with the claims of new routes, Ryanair puts out statements about how many jobs it is creating. It claims its ‘new’ routes will generate an extra 2 million passengers and create an extra 2,000 jobs at Stansted. That would mean 1,000 jobs created for every million Ryanair passengers. According to Ryanair’s latest annual report the airline employed 114 staff for every million passengers carried. That would mean 228 jobs for an extra 2 million passengers. So SSE’s question to Mr O’Leary is “Where do the other 1,772 Stansted jobs come from?” Baggage handlers?
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16 jets running out of fuel, and 34 with engine problems landed at Heathrow 2009 – 2013
The Standard reports that more than 260 planes landed at Heathrow with low fuel, engine problems or other technical faults in the last 5 years. The numbers are from official figures. There were 16 aircraft with low fuel, 34 with engine problems, and 216 with other difficulties that landed at Heathrow between 2009 and 2013. Many of the pilots would have demanded priority to land given their situation. There were 51 such incidents in 2013, 40 in 2012 and 66 in 2010. Zac Goldsmith said: “Anyone will be shocked to see these figures. It’s yet another reason why we should not be massively increasing, possibly doubling, air traffic over Heathrow.” Two reported near-misses involving planes using Heathrow are also being investigated. The most recent was between a Boeing 747 and a private jet in November 2013, and a regional jet and a paraglider two months earlier. Overseas Aid Secretary Justine Greening, MP for Putney and an- opponent of Heathrow expansion, has warned about the risks of a plane crashing on London, possibly due to a terror attack. In 2012 the Telegraph reported that there were 28 low fuel incidents at British airports between 2010 and 2012. They said that in 2013 there were over 224 low fuel emergency landings in 4 years (2009 - 2012) but these figures included incidents involving British-registered aircraft at overseas airports.
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Haiti peasant farmers fighting land grab for airport & “eco-tourism” on Ile a Vache
Haiti’s Prime Minister declared all of Haiti’s offshore islands to be Zones of Tourism Development and Public Utility. He has decided to get in foreign investors (Qatar, the Dominican Republic, China, the wider Caribbean, the UK and USA) to build an airport on Ile a Vache island, (a 20-square mile island off of Haiti’s southern coast) and tourist infrastructure. This would mean coastal settlements razed to build hotels and low density "eco-tourism" style accommodation with heliport, villas bungalows, pools, restaurants, and floating bars. "... it doesn’t present the challenges for land title that you might face on the mainland.” The island’s only forest has been razed, with assistance from the Venezuelan government, to build an airport with a 2.6-km runway. But the residents of the island, mostly small farmers who had cultivated food crops and fished sustainably for centuries and who occupied homes that had been in their families for many generations, were ignored. The islanders’ requests for meetings with government representatives went unanswered. They are now protesting strenuously. Farmers refuse to accept the presidential decree that appropriated as “state assets” all properties and lands in Haiti’s offshore islands and unilaterally annulled all legal property rights that had resulted from either sales, leases, or bequests from individuals retroactively for five years.
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Welsh Economy Minister says Cardiff Airport likely to return to profit only in ‘long-term’
The Welsh Economy Minister, Edwina Hart, has said that Cardiff Airport - now in public ownership - is likely to return to profit eventually, but not in the short term. She said its downward spiral is no longer continuing. The airport finally becoming profitable is a “long-term” strategy. She was giving evidence to the National Assembly's Enterprise and Business Committee on the airport, which was bought by the Welsh Government for £52m at the end of 2012. Ms Hart suggested there wouldn’t be a quick sale of the airport back into the private sector, which the Scottish Government is seeking for the newly-nationalised Prestwick Airport in Ayrshire. Pressed by the Plaid Cymru economy spokesman on when the government expected the taxpayer to recoup its investment. She said the Budget announcement for support for regional airports to set up new routes would apply to Wales and that they would “wait for the detail of it”, but confirmed the Welsh Government is likely to bid in for funding. Chancellor George Osborne announced a £20m annual fund will be used to encourage new routes from regional hubs like Cardiff.
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Manston airport losing £10,000 per day – starts 45 day consultation with staff about closure
Up to 150 jobs - mainly part time - have been placed under threat following the announcement that Manston airport could close. Staff have been told there will be a 45 day consultation over the "possible orderly closure of the airport" , and that the airport will close in 45 days. Manston has made losses for years, and is now losing about £10,000 a day under its new owner. It was bought by Ann Gloag for £1 in 2013. Manston says "No further comment will be made until the consultation period with staff has been concluded." KLM now has two flights per day from Manston, and will comment formally after the consultation period. Manston had been in discussions with Ryanair, to get in flights, but these did not work out when Ryanair issued its 2nd profits warning in as many months. Manston has also failed to attract more cargo flights. The airport will continue to run as normal during the consultation period. The land might be used for housing. In response to questions on this, the airport said it noted that Thanet is developing its Local Plan (for where development – industrial, commercial and residential - can take place across the district) and the airport has engaged with Thanet District Council in this process.
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Sustainable transport: to fly, or not to fly? “Blue & Green tomorrow” sets out some of the arguments
The website, "Blue & Green Tomorrow" asks the question about individual's air travel: "Sustainable transport: to fly, or not to fly?" The argument is between those who say air travel broadens the mind etc, and those who see the personal carbon emissions as a genuine issue of conscience. They point out that there will not be any innovations that reduce the carbon emissions of air transport significantly in the foreseeable future. They acknowledge that: "to fly is also to inflict the gravest damage upon the climate that a human being possibly can." They give examples showing how much more carbon is emitted per passenger kilomerer by aircraft than other forms of transport, and add: "it must be considered that an international flight can easily journey as far in a day as an average car will in a year." And carbon offsetting really does not reduce the emissions from flying. They conclude - with no conclusion - except that if aviation is permitted to expand as predicted, we are relying on there being unforeseen progress in alternative fuels or emission reduction - which is a big gamble. But for governments to restrict flights would require a significant shift in political will and an unprecedented international display of public opinion. Never before would a campaign have lobbied for a reduction of public freedoms on such a scale. Beyond that, the decision is an ethical one.
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APD rate for business jets to rise from x4 standard up to x6 by April 2015, while Treasury receipts from APD fall by £250 million by 2019
The changes to APD in the budget include 3 components; for the next 2 years the rates of APD for Band A (up to 2,000 miles) at £13 and Band B (2,000 to 4,000 miles from London) at £67 continue to rise at the rate of RPI; after April 2015 APD for distances further than 4,000 miles will be at the Band B rate of just £71; and private jets will after April 2015 pay APD at 6 times the rate for standard passengers, up from 4 times the rate in 2014 (and 2 times the rate in 2013). There were some 228 million UK air passengers in 2013, of whom some 120 million were to Europe, some 69 million were to longer haul destinations, and some 38 million were domestic. Of the long haul passengers, some 20 million were to Band C and D destinations (4,000 to 6,000 miles from London, and over 6,000 miles respectively). The Treasury estimates that the revenue generated by Air Passenger Duty will be some £3.0 billion in 2013-14,rising to £3.9 billion in 2018-19. Earlier estimates put the revenue as £4.3 billion in 2018-9. The removal of Bands C and D in 2015 is expected to reduce receipts by the Treasury by £0.2 billion a year on average from 2015-16. They anticipate £215 million less in 2015-6 rising to £250 million less in 2018-9. But they anticipate the losses will be this low due to growth in the number of air passengers
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EU Parliament ENVI committee narrowly votes against compromise of extending ETS “Stop the Clock” to 2016
The European Parliament's Environment Committee (ENVI) has very narrowly voted to reject a deal to exempt long-haul flights (those into and out of Europe) from paying for their carbon emissions until the end of 2016 - the so-called "stop the clock" measure. This is intended to prevent the EU from bowing to international pressure from the USA, China, India etc. Currently only intra-EU flights are included, (no long haul) so the only aviation carbon that is being paid for is from these flights. The aviation ETS is the only international climate measure in place today that tackles aviation’s soaring CO2 emissions. The compromise of an extension to 2016 would effectively have dismantled the ETS, and was not the best way forward. The vote was a clear signal to political leaders in member states, industry and foreign countries that the EU’s sovereignty is not to be undermined by external bullying, and threats of trade sanctions. The next stage is for a vote in the full Parliament on 3rd April. If the Parliament agrees to reject the compromise, then the existing law would automatically apply, requiring all flights using EU airports to pay for all their emissions.
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Chancellor cuts rate of Air Passenger Duty for long haul (over 4,000 miles) flights from 1st April 2015
In the Budget 2014 the Chancellor has announced that rates of Air Passenger Duty (APD) are to be reduced for flights of over 4000 miles from London, from April 2015. Rates of APD will rise by the rate of inflation (RPI) during 2014. After 1st April 2015, distance bands for all journeys longer than 2,000 miles will all be lumped together. While the rate of APD during 2014 (from 1st April 2014) is £13 for a return trip below 2,000 miles (anywhere in Europe), and the rate for journeys of 2,000 to 4,000 miles in length is £69 - the rates from April 2015 will be £13 for the short flights, and £71 for all other distances. The rates of APD in 2015 for premium classes will be £26 and £142. Commenting on this retrograde move by the Chancellor, the Aviation Environment Foundation said it is a backward step environmentally and economically. Aviation is already massively under-taxed compared with the £10 billion that would be raised per annum if aviation wasn’t exempted from fuel taxes and VAT. APD was a means of redressing this problem but any cut means that taxes will have to be raised elsewhere to balance government spending. Long-haul flights contribute more greenhouse gases in absolute terms than shorter flights. It is therefore right that the duty is proportional to the distance flown and the associated emissions. Eliminating bands C and D breaks the link between environmental impacts and tax and breaches the principle of fairness.
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Heathrow Terminal 2 to be powered by woodchip biomass – with dubious and extravagant “green” claims
Heathrow airport, and the planes that fly to and from it, is one of the highest emitters of carbon in the country. Its emissions are larger than several smaller countries. Yet the airport is now trying to be "green" by doing various things to reduce the emissions in the airport itself. The latest is having a biomass boiler for its Terminal 2 which is part of a green-washing campaign, with the airport trying to overcome its negative environmental impacts. Heathrow claim this will be the "UK’s biggest biomass boiler, and that it will cut the airport's CO2 emissions by 34% against 1990 levels (the Terminal was not built then ...). The boiler is meant to provide 2MW of electricity, hot water and cooling for data centres, and save up to "13,000 tonnes of CO2" per year. Heathrow says Woodchip supplier LG Energy won the 15-year contract with Heathrow on the condition that it would provide all of the biomass from a 100-mile radius around the airport. Some 75% of it will come from just 50 miles away, including from London’s Wetlands Centre in Barnes, as well as Richmond Park. LG Energy claims the sale of the timber is enabling more conservation work to be done, so benefiting more habitat and more biodiversity. Biomass, on a large scale, not carefully, locally sourced is likely to be very far from sustainable.
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Manston airport now consulting on its draft Noise Action Plan
Airports are required to draw up Noise Action Plans: "It is a DEFRA requirement that all UK airports prepare a Noise Action Plan (NAP) based on 2011 noise maps. These regulations are a result of the European Directive commonly known as the Environmental Noise Directive (END)." Bickerdike Allen Partners have been retained by Manston Airport to prepare a NAP, and this will require consultation with the Airport's Consultative Committee and the wider public. The consultation lasts 6 weeks between 14th March and 4th July 2014. Following consultation the plan will be finalised and submitted to the Government. Unfortunately Bickerdike Allen Partners produced a noise report for Manston in 2012, which was found to have seriously under-stated the noise nuisance from Manston. The current report also contains inaccuracies and omissions. The community group, No NIght Flights at Manston, urge residents to take part in the consultation and warn: "If you live under or near the flight path, please remember that these people do not have your best interests at heart." Those troubled by aircraft noise have found airport Noise Action Plans to be high on words, and worthy statements of good intent, but low on any real actions or targets to genuinely reduce aircraft noise
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Gatwick airport to consult for 6 weeks on 3 “options” for its 2nd runway
Gatwick airport is starting a public consultation, on 4th April (lasting 6 weeks - ending 16th May) on its runway submission to the Airports Commission. The consultation has 3 options (not the same 3 as the 3 options in the July submission). The first is the close runway (which is little use to the airport) 585 metres to the south; the second is a wide spaced runway, 1,045 metres to the south, for segregated mode (ie. take-offs on one runway, landings on the other); or the wide spaced runway, 1,045 metres to the south, for mixed mode (both take-offs and landing) - the profitable option. Gatwick airport very definitely wants the 3rd option. The airport says they want to "refine and improve" their plans. However, they have to submit their plan to the Commission on 9th May, so the timing of the consultation is odd as it will end after the plans are submitted. When Gatwick submitted their schemes to the Commission in July 2013, there were 3 options; a close runway about 600 metres south of the current runway, for "dependent segregated mode"; or a medium spaced runway about 750 metres south for "independent segregated mode"; or a wide spaced runway about 1,035 metres to the south of the current runway, for "independent mixed mode." Only the last option was short-listed by the Commission. There will be 16 exhibitions in towns and villages in Kent, Sussex and Surrey.
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