Latest News
AirportWatch on 
@AirportWatch
Summaries of, and links to, the latest aviation news stories appear below. News is archived into topics
For a daily compilation of UK articles on national and regional transport issues, see Transportinfo.org.uk | For more stories about specific airports see Aviation Environment Federation Transport & Environment Anna Aero TravelMole Press releases from CAA IATA BA Ryanair easyJet Jet2.com For climate change ECEEE news and Guardian Climate and NoAA monthly analysisCheck Hansard for reports on Parliament |
 |
Latest news stories:
EU compromise on inclusion of long haul flights in the ETS faces opposition – vote on 19th March
A number of EU politicians plan to vote against a deal to exempt long-haul flights, to and from Europe, from paying for carbon emissions until the end of 2016 in an attempt to prevent the EU from bowing to international pressure. The European Parliament's 71-member Environment Committee will vote on March 19 on a deal brokered by EU diplomats earlier in March to extend a so-called "stop the clock" measure exempting intercontinental flights from regulation under its ETS. The vote on the 19th will be a preliminary indication of whether the proposal can win enough support in the full 766-strong EU Parliament, a step required before it can become law. If there is no agreement by the end of April, this is likely to reignite tensions with Europe's major trading partners (US, China, India) and risk a trade war. Failure to reach agreement on continuing to allow flights into and out of the EU not to pay for their carbon emissions would be good news for environmentalists, as it would mean that an existing law that requires all aviation to pay for emissions would automatically apply. There is a lot of internal European politics involved.
Click here to view full story...
6 week consultation on Heathrow’s north west runway ends – criticised for not being transparent
Heathrow has been conducting a somewhat minimalistic 6-week consultation on its plan for a new runway to the north west. The questions in the consultation (only really 2 questions, with scope for further comments) are only on factors to take in to account, and whether more people should be affected by a slightly smaller amount of aircraft niose, if fewer people should be subjected to a larger amount (dispersal or concentration). The consultation is not whether those consulted want a new runway. The public consultation sessions are now ended. The consultation did not mention the Heathrow Hub proposal for an extension of the northern runway. A Heathrow spokesman said: “We will take your opinions into account as we look to refine our north-west runway proposal..." Those opposed to the plans have been critical of the consultation, saying it has been neither honest nor transparent. Heathrow has been disingenuous in making no effort to show where the landing flight paths would go, making informed comment impossible. Either way there will be more aircraft noise for many thousands of homes. Claims that the airport will have 20 - 30% more flights and be "quieter" (properly defined) are manifestly not logical.
Click here to view full story...
Belfast City Airport Watch say Belfast residents are furious about the token airport ‘action plan’
Residents affected by aircraft noise from George Best Belfast City Airport say they’re furious that the Northern Ireland Department of the Environment has approved an airport ‘noise action plan’ which doesn’t meet its own guidance. The five-year plan fails to outline how the airport is going to reduce noise for those residents worst affected, despite the fact that the Department says airport noise action plans should include such proposals. The Department’s decision comes as it’s emerged that the number of people seriously affected by aircraft noise (above 57 dB) has more than doubled within the space of a year – from 3,728 in 2012 to 8,247 last year. The figures, compiled by the airport’s own consultants, also show that more than 20,000 people were subjected to aircraft noise at a level which many observers consider to be significant (54dB). The airport’s draft noise action plan, published last summer, was sharply criticised by Belfast City Council which called on the airport to promise action to reduce noise for those residents who were most seriously affected. However, the airport has not heeded its call and the final version of the ‘action plan’ contains no such undertaking.
Click here to view full story...
Noise pollution fears over plans to extend Southampton Airport’s runway
Southampton Airport has plans for a 450 ft runway extension, that would enable larger and heavier planes to take off and land at the airport. However, this may not only increase the noise per plane, from heavier aircraft, but also the number of planes and passengers. Some local residents, living under flight paths, are concerned about the noise implications. A resident from Bitterne Park Residents’ Association, said she had only been told that the starter strip was to make taking off and landing safer at the terminal and questioned whether extending the runway was permitted. The airport's managing director said of the runway extension: “We are talking about a starter strip adding up to 150 metres to the existing runway, which is currently just over 1,700 metres, so it would be under 10% longer. We would like to see this in the next 10 years and before a major new runway is built elsewhere in the south east. I would anticipate this could be within 5 to 10 years." He said the investment in the extension "would not mean extra costs for passengers" and there would be no change to restrictions on operating hours at the airport.
Click here to view full story...
Doubt about the Gatwick scheme to pay off residents affected by noise from 2nd runway
Gatwick has offered, as part of its PR offensive to try to get opinion behind its 2nd runway, to pay £1,000 per year (the council tax on a Band A property) to 4,100 houses worst affected by noise, if it gets its runway. This is a very paltry sum compared to the negative impacts of the noise and disruption that would be caused. A local resident commented on the plan: "This is just a publicity stunt to try to get Crawley residents on board for a new runway. ....It sounds generous until you look at who gets it and how much we would lose....Even if we got the grant, it would take 150 years for the grant to cover the loss of value of our house. .... Gatwick Airport is trying to kid us that a new runway means lots of jobs for Crawley residents – but the jobs would attract incomers from the UK and the EU who would need new houses in an area that is desperately short of affordable homes.....We existing residents would see our carefully planned country town double in size to become a sprawling city spreading over green countryside..... I hope nobody will be fooled by Gatwick’s offer or by their promises of a golden future for Crawley.”
Click here to view full story...
After huge protest against Nantes airport on 22nd February, ACIPA reaffirms its values
At the huge protest in Nantes, on 22nd February, regrettably there was some violence, some rioting and a harsh response from the police and security services - with some injuries. The organisers of the event, ACIPA, have written of their regret about the disturbance, but their determination to continue the battle against the planned airport - in unspoiled French farmland. ACIPA say the want to thank all participants who responded overwhelmingly to the call for a peaceful and festive family event. They regret that protesters were unable to follow the planned route of the protest, and that there were some difficulties with the organisation of this huge demonstration. ACIPA reiterates its full support to the people injured and invites them to get in touch if necessary. They intend to continue protests in a peaceful and determined way, and are grateful to the support committees across France, helping in their fight. They continue to hope legal challenges on water and biodiversity loss will make the planned airport illegal.
Click here to view full story...
Southampton airport planning runway extension for heavier planes to further away destinations
Southampton Airport plans to build a 450 ft (137 metres) runway extension. The airport says this would enable heavier planes, to further afield holiday destinations, like Greece, southern Italy, Eastern Europe and Scandinavia. There would also be routes to eastern European countries, as there is a large Eastern European population in and around Southampton and Portsmouth. It the airport gets it way, it could have a “starter strip” at the northern end of the 1,723m runway in 5 years. That would make the total 1,860 metres. The airport hopes to increase its number of passengers from some 1.7 million in 2013 (much lower than the numbers for 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009) to 2.5 million by 2024. There are the usual wildly exaggerated claims of huge numbers of jobs - a doubling - with 1,000 new jobs claimed. In reality, low cost airlines add about 200 or less jobs per extra million passengers]. Southampton airport says there would be no increase in the size of aircraft but the extension would enable planes to take off carrying a heavier load of fuel, meaning longer flights. Local residents know these heavier planes would mean more noise. The airport claims it would "inject an extra £50 million into the local economy" - while in reality is will just be more cheap flights for those taking leisure money out of the UK to spend elsewhere.
Click here to view full story...
Vote on ETS in European Parliament on 19th March on whether “stop the clock” continues to 2016 or 2020
MEPs on the European Parliament's environment committee will next week (19th) be faced with a difficult choice on aviation and the ETS – accept a humiliating surrender to America, Russian and Chinese bullying, or risk a trade war with grave economic consequences. Last week negotiators reached a deal to exempt non-EU airlines from paying for their CO2 emissions, in deference to pressure from Washington, Moscow and Beijing. The EU "stopped the clock" on the scheme, except for intra EU flights, and a decision on the next stage has to be made on when, and if, the carbon emissions from flights to and from the EU can again be included. Sticking with "stop the clock" gives advantages to hub airports just outside EU airspace, such as Istanbul, at the expense of EU competitors. The Parliament is demanding that the exemption should end in 2016 rather than in 2020, and the text agreed with member states says only an ICAO agreement which reduces emissions – rather than just halting the rise in emissions – would meet the conditions to allow carbon from flights to and from the EU to continue to be excluded. The UK wants the 2020 date. If the agreement is passed in the March 19 ENVI meeting, it will be presented at the Parliament’s plenary session on April 3 for a full vote by MEPs. If passed, the regulation will come into immediate effect.
Click here to view full story...
London aircraft noise summit increases pressure for independent aircraft noise ombudsman
The group, "Let Britain Fly" organised an "aircraft noise seminar" in order to get together various speakers to discuss the issue, and the possible establishment of an independent aircraft noise ombudsman (ANO). The summit hoped to call all political parties to create the new role, in order to try to protect the welfare of people living near airports and under flight paths. During autumn, the business group London First, advocated the appointment of the watchdog body, and the Airports Commission recommended it, in their interim report in December. Campaigners at Heathrow - where there is the largest aircraft noise problem - are hopeful that there may now be a new initiative, that can help break the noise deadlock. Other campaigners at airports with different noise problems have serious concerns about the ombudsman proposal, and fear that the creation of an independent noise ombudsman might be used as a means of paving the way for airport expansion, by defusing opposition. They would back a watchdog, provided he has real powers to set and enforce standards. What people who are overflown - and troubled by plane noise - want is for less noise. Not just liaison, consultation, action plans and empty promises.
Click here to view full story...
Letter to Guardian from Heathrow critics & supporters asking for aircraft noise ombudsman
The noise from planes using Heathrow airport is a huge issue, affecting hundreds of thousands of people. Noise at other airports is equally a serious problem for those affected. Over decades, local communities have had little reason to trust the airports and the authorities (a recent example being the unannounced flight path trial over Warnham, from Gatwick). Aircraft noise is considered to be an unfortunate side effect of the alleged benefits of a growing aviation sector, with those affected being necessary "collateral damage" of this industry. The Airports Commission, in its interim report in December, recommended the setting up of an independent noise authority which would be able to deal with noise issues. Now a letter, supporting the establishment of an Ombudsman, has been sent to the Guardian, signed by a long list of notable people, including many opponents of a 3rd Heathrow runway. The letter hopes the Ombudsman may establish more "trust and confidence." However, no amount of liaison, consultation etc will actually make the amount of noise diminish, which is what most people who suffer from aircraft noise actually want. There are fears that the new body will be “long grass into which difficult issues could be consigned.”
Click here to view full story...
The cost of a new Gatwick runway – £50 extra per return flight
A new research study - ‘Who would pay for a new runway’ - examines who would pay for a new runway at Gatwick or at Heathrow. It concludes that a new runway at Gatwick would mean an increase in airport charges (landing fees, aircraft parking charges etc) per passenger from £8 at present to £33.60 – an increase of £25, or £50 per return flight. At Heathrow the increase would be from £19 per passenger to £31. The calculations are based on the estimate made by the Airports Commission that a new Gatwick runway would cost £10 - £13 billion. The local Gatwick campaign, GACC, say Gatwick often claim that a new runway at Gatwick would be cheaper than one at Heathrow. But they don't mention that the cost would need to be borne by roughly half as many passengers at Gatwick as at Heathrow. In the past the cost of new infrastructure was met by the Government, or spread among BAA's airports. But now all the airports are privately owned by separate companies. The cost of a Gatwick runway would have to be met only by the passengers using Gatwick. £50 extra on a return flight might well cause price sensitive passengers and airlines to choose to use Stansted instead.
Click here to view full story...
Gatwick offers to pay households for noise of 2nd runway – dismissed by opponents as a “very small bribe”
Gatwick airport is on a PR and charm offensive to try to get support for a 2nd runway. This has been somewhat upset over the past two weeks by the impact on the village of Warnham of an unannounced flight path trial. Now Gatwick airport may have been rushed into making the offer of £1,000 per year to "all households most affected" by noise from a 2nd runway. The airport says would be equivalent to Band A Council Tax (currently £1000). Gatwick CEO Stewart Wingate said the cash would help negate some of the impact. The airport estimate that 4,100 households would qualify for the money by 2040, using the discredited 57 decibel contour. In reality, the 57dB contour does not accurately reflect the areas where noise is annoying or causes disturbance - even the 54dB contour, as used in Europe, is an inaccurate measure. Many thousands more people - perhaps 48,000 - would need to be compensated if the 54dB contour was used. The £1,000 is a derisory figure, not even slightly compensating for loss of house value, or for loss of local amenity and quality of life. This is a very small bribe.
Click here to view full story...
Analysis by NATS for Airports Commission shows a 4th Heathrow runway would cut flight path capacity elsewhere
An article in the Times says a submission by NATS, the air traffic control service to the Airports Commission warns of the problems that would be caused if a 4th (not only a 3rd) runway was built. The Airports Commission said in its interim report, that it considers another new runway might be "needed" by 2050, if the first new runway capacity has been filled by then. Even one new runway is marginal, at best, for carbon emissions. [A 2nd new runway cannot be built and used, keeping within UK carbon targets]. There are fears that if Heathrow was allowed a 3rd runway, it would effectively become a Trojan Horse for a 4th runway - Heathrow airport has said that from 2030 a decision would have to be taken on a 4th. The effect on flight paths would mean fewer planes could use the other London airports. The Times says a 4th runway at Heathrow would reduce the combined capacity of Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted, Luton, Birmingham, City and Southend airports by 9%. It would cut capacity relative to a 3-runway Heathrow by 18% due to the disruption to flight paths to the other main airports.
Click here to view full story...
A new runway at Heathrow or Gatwick would mean big increases in passenger fees – New report
The Aviation Environment Federation (AEF) has submitted a new report to the Airports Commission which casts doubt on the feasibility of building a new runway at either Gatwick or Heathrow. So far there has been little realistic discussion about who will actually pay for the proposed runways. The new study, “Who Would Pay for a New Runway” by Brendon Sewill, shows that a new runway at Heathrow would be likely to mean an increase in landing fees and other airport charges from £19 per passenger now, up to £31. At Gatwick there would be a larger increase, up from £8 now to £33.60. The study points out that with all the London airports separately owned, unlike in the days of BAA, the cost will have to fall only on the passengers using that airport. If an expensive runway (and terminal) is built, the options are either that the passengers pay for it - or that it has to have public subsidy. A report for the Airports Commission, by KPMG, concluded that a new Heathrow runway would need a subsidy of around £11 billion, and a new Gatwick runway a subsidy of nearly £18 billion. However, the Government is reluctant to commit public funds, and new EU guidelines ruling out subsidies to major airports. That leaves landing charges - will passengers put up with that, or vote with their feet by using cheaper airports?
Click here to view full story...
Villages up in arms as new Gatwick “ADNID” flight path shatters their peace and quiet
The Sunday Times has featured the story of the misery and upset being caused over villages in Sussex by a new trial flight path from Gatwick. The village of Warnham is particularly affected. It is a quiet village, but now has planes taking off from Gatwick thundering overhead. Some of the affected residents are the mother-in-law of Boris Johnson, who said who say the noise is so loud that it sets off baby monitors and drowns out the sound of local church bells. Also Caroline Lucas, whose family owns the 215-acre Warnham Park, with a large herd of red deer, said: “How long will future generations stay here? That’s the question you have to ask.” The 6 month trial, of which there was no notice given to local residents, is of a new departure route for planes mainly bound for southern Europe, which are now turning south earlier than they normally do. The airport says the trial is to find out if a new aircraft navigation system will allow air traffic controllers to reduce the interval between flights taking off from two minutes to one, potentially allowing more flights to take off at peak times. ie. make Gatwick even busier than now.
Click here to view full story...
Francis Maude: Noise misery foreshadows Gatwick second runway
Francis Maude, MP for Horsham, has received a great number of letters and emails from distressed residents in Warnham and Rusper, in recent weeks, about the new flight path trial over them. They are saying they are being plagued by a constant stream of noisy aircraft taking off from Gatwick towards the west starting at 6am. Many people have complained directly to Gatwick Airport, the CAA and NATS - but have yet to be satisfied on a number of points. Most residents were not aware of any minimal consultation about the changes before they started. Francis Maude is asking for much more detail about the trials. These include on what criteria will the trial be assessed? Why does it need to continue for six months? and How is it being monitored? He says the misery currently being experienced by local residents foreshadows what would be a permanent feature of life in the area if a 2nd Gatwick runway were to be built. The amount of opposition to this trial suggests it is not being successful. Francis Maude says: "I have made my opposition to a second Gatwick runway many times in public and private, and am happy to reiterate this now."
Click here to view full story...
Government wants new runway pushed through in next Parliament, with no chance to vote against it
Interview with Patrick McLoughlin, in the Spectator, by James Forsyth. It states: “But McLoughlin has a plan that may stop airport expansion being dragged into the next general election campaign. In opposition, David Cameron was against expanding Heathrow. But in 2012, the government asked Howard Davies, an economist, to do a report on what runways Britain needs. He has been told not to publish his final conclusions until after the general election. So I ask McLoughlin: does that mean there’ll be no general election between the report and the beginning of the building process? “Sitting here now, that would be what I would hope.” Residents who’ll have to put up with a new runway, or even a new airport, will thus never get a chance to vote against it.”
Click here to view full story...
Stobart Group sells stake in its truck brand to focus on biomass energy and Southend Airport
Stobart Group is to sell a controlling interest in its trucking business to the Isle of Man investment firm DBAY in a £280million deal. Stobart Group will sell a majority stake in Eddie Stobart Logistics to focus on biomass energy and expanding Southend Airport. Stobart will get £195.6million in cash from DBAY, as well as a 49% stake in the new company. William Stobart will head the new business and will own 6% of it. Markets gave the deal the thumbs down, sending shares down 7.75p to 141.75p. The sale includes a complex arrangement under which DBAY can use the Eddie Stobart brand for 4 years without paying. Then it can either buy the brand for use only in transport and logistics for £15million, pay £50million to use the brand however it wishes, or can pay £3million a year to license it. Stobart believes the trucking business has little room for growth and is selling it to focus on fast-growing Southend Airport and get into biomass generation. It believes the airport can increase passengers from 1 million a year to 5 million without much more investment.
Click here to view full story...
British Airways Heathrow flight suffered ‘engine surge’ on take-off so returned for emergency landing
A British Airways plane was forced to turn back shortly after taking off at Heathrow Airport after an "engine surge" in the air. A witness said flames were "spitting out of the engine" as the aircraft took off at 20.54 GMT on Thursday 6th March. British Airways said flight BA0364 to Lyon, France, touched down safely, and the aircraft would be "thoroughly checked over by engineers". The southern runway was closed for about 16 minutes. A local resident who saw it said: "I was in the petrol station opposite the airport, which is when I heard the bang, so I turned around and the plane had flames spitting out of the engine with a spluttering noise as it was still taking off. I then watched it continue to climb and the engine was still emitting flames intermittently." BA said "A flight experienced what's known as an 'engine surge' as it took off from Heathrow" So the plane limped back into Heathrow. Webtrak shows it circling over Cobham etc for some 25 minutes before joining the northern runway approach path at around Brixton and landing at about 21.37 - so it flew for miles over densely populated areas of London. The last incident of a plane having to make an emergency landing, and flying across London with a burning engine, was in May 2013, when the engine cowls had not been closed properly.
Click here to view full story...
Prestwick Airport reveals spiralling losses – almost £10 million in 2013
The full scale of Prestwick Airport's financial problems are revealed in the latest accounts, which show a pre-tax loss of almost £10 million in its final full year of private ownership. Its financial problems have escalated with a pre-tax loss of £9.77m in the 12 months to March 31, 2013. The airport made a £2.3m pre-tax loss in the year to March 2012. Last March its owners, Infratil, put the airport up for sale, but as no buyer could be found, the Scottish Government stepped in and bought Prestwick for a £1 on November 22 2013. Prestwick had a 20% fall in the number of passengers in July 2012 compared to the same month in 2011 - the busiest time of the year with the school holidays. The airport's accounts state that Prestwick is only a going concern if its owner is willing to continue funding deficits. Such an undertaking has been made by Transport Scotland on behalf of Scottish ministers ie. public subsidy. Only Ryanair is operating scheduled flights, and a significant percentage of the airport's aviation revenue is derived from freight and other aircraft activity.
Click here to view full story...
Allegedly “full” Heathrow now promotes BA weekend day trips to European cities
Heathrow Airport makes much of the fact that it is "full" and there is no space for any other new routes, to all those destinations in emerging economies, to which, according to Heathrow, new air links are absolutely vital. But as Heathrow is so full, (so the theory goes) these links cannot be set up, and so UK plc will languish .... without direct routes to a range of second or third tier cities. So it is something of a surprise to find that BA now has space among its Heathrow slots for some new low-cost day return fares to European cities, for day trips at weekends. BA is offering what it claims to be “affordable day trip” tickets for anyone wanting to fly to popular city break destinations (Rome, Dublin, Geneva, Vienna, Munich) and back on the same day. BA said it could not reveal how many day trip tickets were set aside for each destination, due to commercially sensitivity. The Telegraph says:"Encouraging travellers to fly twice in a day might anger environmentalists. When asked to comment on the effect of such short trips, a spokesman said: “It’s the customer’s choice and they can offset their carbon emissions on the BA website if they wish to.” " What can one say? One comment below the article mentions the "mindless hedonist" ......
Click here to view full story...
GACC calls for flight path trial to stop due to anger and outrage in the village of Warnham
A new flight path for take-offs from Gatwick airport has caused outrage in the parish of Warnham, near Horsham. Designed as a 6-month trial to enable more aircraft to take-off from the Gatwick runway it has already caused a wave of protest. A member of the GACC (Gatwick Area Conservation Campaign), Sally Pavey, who lives in Warnham, says: ‘The tranquillity of our 14th century, conservation village has been lost and we seem powerless to do anything about it. Everyone is up in arms as we are woken at 6.00 am with an aircraft overhead every few minutes. Living in Warnham has turned into a nightmare!’ GACC has called for the trial to be stopped. The new route is causing an unacceptable degree of upset and maximum anger. It is just a small foretaste of what is to come if a new runway were to be built. "With a new runway the new flight paths would bring anger and misery to perhaps 30 or more towns and villages. And that would be permanent, not just for 6 months. Warnham is a wake-up call for why we should all oppose a new runway.’
Click here to view full story...
Brussels flight link returns to Newcastle Airport – with 11 BMI flights per week
The North East once again has a direct link to Brussels with the launch of new flights by BMI from Newcastle to Brussels. In February 2013 Brussels Airlines stopped the flights, as it was not profitable enough. There had been 3 flight per day, 6 days per week. Now BMI Regional has stepped in, offering 11 flights a week (twice a day Monday to Friday and once on Sunday) to and from Belgium. An airport spokesman said “The route is one that we lost earlier in the economic downturn, but we were determined to get it back. ..... Connectivity is very important, and not just to business – Newcastle University finds EU funding key so we hope this route will also let them grow.” MEP Martin Callanan hopes the route will aid local business. “We’ll start with 11 flights a week and then, if the demand is there, look at the possibility of a third daily flight.”
Click here to view full story...
Concerns about the effectiveness of a new aviation noise authority – and the public’s trust in it
In its interim report published on 17th December 2013, the Airports Commission recommended to government "... the establishment of an Independent Noise Authority to provide expert and impartial advice about the noise impacts of aviation and to facilitate the delivery of future improvements to airspace operations." GACC - the Gatwick Area Conservation Campaign - has responded to this suggestion with a lot of caveats. GACC would welcome the authority if its main purpose is to reduce aircraft noise, but not if its main purpose is to persuade local residents to relax their opposition to a new runway at Gatwick. Residents want the noise to be reduced, not ‘mitigating’, and not ‘reducing the number of people affected’ if that means merely making noise worse for fewer people. . There have been years of unsatisfactory complaints mechanisms on aircraft noise, and also of broken assurances from the aviation industry. "A single point for complaints, an aircraft noise ombudsman with power to order improvement or compensation, would be welcome. But we do not see this in the recommendations of the Commission’s Interim Report." There are fears that the new body will be "long grass into which difficult issues could be consigned." A body designed to smooth the path of a new runway, whether at Gatwick or elsewhere would be vigorously opposed.
Click here to view full story...
Gatwick Area Conservation Campaign speaks up for the village of Warnham, suffering from an unannounced flight path trial
A new flight path has been introduced for aircraft taking off from Gatwick to the west, then turning left around Horsham. It passes directly over the village of Warnham and is apparently a trial designed in order to get more aircraft off the Gatwick runway. GACC (the Gatwick Area Conservation Campaign) considers it intolerable that new misery and a decline in house values should be caused just to create extra profit for the owners of Gatwick. Normally there are 3 take off routes to the west, which are contained within compulsory Noise Preferential Route (NPR) corridors. The new route route departs from the NPR, particularly over Warnham, where it has caused consternation. The trial is a technical one not intended to measure the social impact and they did not announce it in advance so as not to provoke complaints that might not have emerged otherwise. The airport says because it is a trial it was not necessary to consult, as would be a legal requirement if the new route were to be permanent. GACC say there is no national need for this route change - Stansted airport is operating at less than half its capacity. People fear that this new route is a small fore-taste of the widespread misery and protest that would be created across Surrey and Sussex by a new runway.
Click here to view full story...
Aviation Minister, Robert Goodwill, launches Newcastle Airport Business Park with hopes of large numbers of jobs
Aviation Minister Robert Goodwill MP has launched a new airport business park, in conjunction with the airport and Newcastle City Council. The business park was outlined in the airport’s 2013 master plan. There are suggestions that the business park could bring 7,000 jobs over 20 years (though usually many of these jobs are not additional, but move in from elsewhere). The first phase of the plans will establish 175,000 sq ft of office accommodation across six buildings, in close proximity to the airport and within walking distance of a Metro station. The hope is that it will attract new investors to the region and attract businesses in new international markets, such as digital and high-tech. The promoters hope the park will benefit from not only having air links but also good road and rail infrastructure nearby. The airport said other successful regional airports have been able to diversify their businesses, to not only depend on aviation. Mr Goodwill hoped Newcastle Airport succeeded in its goal to operate transatlantic flights to the US East Coast.
Click here to view full story...
NGOs urge EU governments to take action over EU ETS enforcement against non-compliant foreign airlines
European environmental NGOs have formally requested German, Dutch and British authorities responsible for administering the Aviation EU ETS to take necessary action against airlines that failed to comply with the carbon scheme in 2012. The NGOs name airlines Air China, China Eastern, China Southern, Air India, Jet Airways, Saudia and Aeroflot as not having submitted carbon permits to cover their intra-European flights that year by the 30 April 2013 deadline. Facing international opposition, the EU temporarily suspended a requirement for airlines to report emissions from intercontinental flights to and from Europe in 2012 under the ‘Stop the Clock’ derogation. Carriers regardless of nationality were still required to comply with the scheme for flights carried out within Europe. The NGOs point out that offenders gain a competitive advantage over compliant airlines if the regulations are not enforced equally and consistently. The NGOs say “It makes no sense and undermines the EU’s position internationally to enforce the ETS partially or in an arbitrary and discriminatory manner." EU countries must enforce compliance with the ETS in a consistent and fair manner.
Click here to view full story...
“Gatwick Diamond” accuses local MPs of community ‘disservice’ after Redhill aerodrome appeal defeat
The two Conservative MPs who publicly opposed Redhill aerodrome's plans to build a hard runway have been accused of "doing their residents a disservice". Amidst the fallout of the Planning Inspectorate's decision on 18th February to dismiss Redhill Aerodrome's appeal for a hard runway, Jeremy Taylor, chief executive of (ardently pro-new-runways) business group Gatwick Diamond, said Crispin Blunt MP and Sam Gyimah MP had done a disservice to residents by opposing the plans. The Planning Inspector had rejected the airport's appeal against repeated refusals by Reigate & Banstead Borough Council and Tandridge District Council of plans for the 3 grass runways to be replaced by a 1,349m hard surface runway, along with approach lighting, drainage and habitat management. The Gatwick Diamond group say a hard runway would be good for business in the area, claim jobs would be created by it, and try to scare local people that their jobs will be at risk. Mr Blunt described the airport's business case as "disingenuous", and Mr Gyimah said it was the wrong development in the wrong place.
Click here to view full story...
£25,000 of Heathrow airport “Community Fund” – much of it from passengers’ spare change – for local flood victims
Heathrow airport has a "Community Fund" which makes donations to community projects local to the airport, in Ealing , Hillingdon , Hounslow , Richmond, Runnymede, South Bucks, Slough, Spelthorne, Windsor and Maidenhead. They say they focus on projects linked to education and youth development, the environment and employment/skills development. In 2014 around £500,000 will be available through 3 distinct grant programmes.They have now announced that they are donating £25,000 for flood-stricken community groups in surrounding boroughs of the airport, to help them recover from the damage caused by the storms and flooding. Some areas only 3 - 4 miles from Heathrow have been badly flooded to a depth of many feet. The Heathrow Community Fund donations will be made towards those with no help available from insurance or statutory funding. The funds come from 3 sources – fines imposed on aircraft that breach noise limits, an annual donation from Heathrow and spare change from airport passengers. The noise fines are only for departing, not arriving planes, and this source of funds is used only for the "Communities for Tomorrow" activities.
Click here to view full story...
BA boss Willie Walsh backs Scottish independence if its government will then cut APD by 50%
Willie Walsh, CEO of IAG - owner of British Airways - has stirred up some publicity by declaring that Scottish independence could be a "positive development" for British Airways, if it cuts Air Passenger Duty (APD). He said the Scottish government "recognised the huge impact" air passenger duty" had on the economy and had in the past pledged to reduce, then possibly abolish, APD if there is a "Yes" vote for Scottish independence in the referendum in September. Willie Walsh has repeatedly lobbied against APD (which is charged as aviation pays no VAT and no fuel duty), and all airlines would prefer air travel to remain significantly under-taxed, to boost their revenues. In its White Paper on independence, the Scottish government said APD would cost Scotland "more than £200m a year" in lost tourism expenditure, and after a 50% cut they wanted complete abolition of APD "when public finances allow", in a bid to make Scottish airports more competitive. That would have the effect of drawing potential air passengers from northern English airports to Edinburgh and Glasgow airports instead. A north-east MP said of Walsh: "For a man who leads a company that trades on its British identity, he has a very casual approach to the break-up of Britain.”
Click here to view full story...
Prototype “Hybrid Air Vehicle” (HAV) – the “Airlander” – may have its first flight this year
The world's longest aircraft has been unveiled. It is an experimental hybrid, which looks like a giant (helium filled) airship - which has a pod slung underneath, two small engine rotors and small wings. It is the shape of two rugby-ball shapes linked in the middle with a joining section. It uses little fuel and its advocates say it is "70% greener than a cargo plane." If the giant models can be made to work, they may be able to carry up to 50 tonnes payload. It can land on a small space, or on water, and so is being promoted as possibly helpful to land aid and equipment to remote disaster areas with no long runways. The machines could also be used for long term surveillance as they can stay aloft for days or weeks, and be remotely operated. The length of the prototype is 302ft (92m) which is some 60ft longer than the Airbus A380 or the massive cargo-carrying Antonov An-225. The company developing it has now received £2.5m of UK government funding for development "of quieter, more energy efficient and environmentally friendly planes." Business Secretary Vince Cable hopes this will be an "innovative low carbon aircraft which can keep us at the cutting edge of new technology ...... to lead the world in its field." They may be able to "fly over the Amazon at 20ft, over some of the world's greatest cities and stream the whole thing on the internet."
Click here to view full story...
5% fewer flights used Munich airport in 2013 than 2012 – but airport planning 3rd runway
In Munich, campaigners against the building of a 3rd runway remain defiant in spite of a court ruling that the building of a 3rd runway would be legal. There were extraordinary scenes in the court room when the judge gave his ruling. Campaigners, who had packed the building, all stood up and sang the Bavarian national anthem. The judge had to clear the court. The campaigners are confident that the 3rd runway may never be built because the number of aircraft using the existing runways at Munich is falling. The figures for 2013 show that though there were 0.8% more passengers using Munich airport in 2013 than in 2012, but that the number of air transport movements (flights) fell by 5%. That is a substantial reduction. The campaign against the new runway has repeatedly questioned the economic case for building a runway for which there is not sufficient demand. For all 3 airports in Bavaria (Munich, Nuremburg and Memmingen) the number of air passengers did not grow in 2013, and the number of flights fell by 5.2%. The volume of air freight and mail using Munich airport fell by 1% in 2013. So no growing demand there.
Click here to view full story...
MoD open to RAF Leuchars, near Dundee, becoming passenger airport while remaining a military base
RAF Leuchars is a military airport in eastern Scotland, some 4 km south east of Dundee airport and about 50 km north east of Edinburgh. The RAF are currently in the process of moving their two Typhoon squadrons from Leuchars in Fife to Lossiemouth in Moray as part of a defence review. The MoD is now considering use of the airport for some civliian flights in addition to its use as a military base, which will continue. Although the army will be moving to Leuchars in 2015, the base’s runway will still be in use occasionally and the control tower will have to be preserved. Nearby Dundee airport is struggling to maintain business, partly due to its short 1,400-metre runway, compared to Leuchars’ 2,585 metres, which could cater for much bigger aircraft. A MoD spokesman said: “The MoD is happy in principle to speak to any organisation that wishes to look into the possible use of Leuchars as a commercial airfield." Ryanair commented: “We are currently in discussion with over 100 airports, so competition for Ryanair growth is fierce.” Dundee's City Council leader opposed the idea as they are trying to get flights from Dundee to London to be successful. Edinburgh airport is unhappy about these Dundee flights getting public subsidy.
Click here to view full story...
New studies confirm Plymouth airport not viable for aviation use
Sutton Harbour Holdings, the leaseholder, closed Plymouth airport in December 2011 and has plans to build homes, shops and offices on the site. They say there is no chance of the airport ever being reopened. Now Sutton Harbour say two expert studies it had commissioned showed that a plan by campaign group Viable to re-open the airport was “totally unrealistic”. Viable’s plans to extend the runway and airport facilities for jets would cost at least £40million and require the demolition of homes and offices. The reports also said the proposed jet aircraft would expose 6,000 people in 2,400 homes to “annoying” noise. Oakwood Primary School and 450 homes would require noise insulation, and other homeowners would need to be offered relocation packages at the airport operator’s expense. According to the reports, the cost of even a modest commercial re-opening would run into millions of pounds and still make a loss.” Viable disagrees and says it will fight on.
Click here to view full story...
T&E on European aviation subsidies: “People flying Ryanair should pay for their own tickets”
Last week saw Europe extend its dirtiest subsidy - the one that makes ultra-cheap air tickets possible - by at least another decade. That’s the simplest way to sum up new EU rules for state aid to regional airports and airlines. Jos Dings, from T&E, attempts to explain simply what the impenetrable language of the EU ruling says and means. Aviation globally contributes about 5% to man-made climate change. The EC says in Europe the aviation sector adds €140 billion to GDP and 2.3 million jobs, both of which represent 1% of the EU total. ie. EU aviation is 5 times more climate intensive than the average economic activity in Europe. Aviation pays no VAT, no fuel tax - exemptions worth €40 billion a year. Aviation is also trying to get out of inclusion in the EU ETS. Ryanair and other low cost airlines have managed to manipulate the EU subsidies system adroitly, paying almost no landing charges at struggling regional airports, and this has made rock-bottom air fares possible. Purchase of these is the cheapest and fastest way for individuals to greatly increase their personal carbon emissions, and thus their contribution to rising global CO2. Traffic from Euope's small airports has risen rapidly: 130% growth over the past decade, versus ‘only’ 29% for the larger airports. This makes a mockery of fair competition in the aviation market.
Click here to view full story...
New Gatwick flightpath trials are ‘destroying’ village life at Warnham, West Sussex
Residents in Warnham, about 10 km south west of Gatwick, and complaining strenuously about low-flying aircraft going over their homes from 6am each day. They feel the character of their village, let alone its tranquillity, are being destroyed. This is part of a trial for a new new flightpath which started on February 17th and will continue for 6 months. The trial is being run by NATS in conjunction with Gatwick airport, but people in Warnham complain that they were not notified or consulted in advance of the trial. The planes pass over the village at approximately 2,000ft and villagers say they can be as frequent as every 5 minutes at some times of day. The noise is loud enough to have raised concerns about its impact on vulnerable residents, in particular the elderly and disabled. The Gatwick Area Conservation Campaign (GACC) claims that rural residents suffer more from noise pollution than urban residents. The noise is more intrusive as there is little background noise. GACC is concerned that the trial of the new flightpath over Warnham is designed solely to get more aircraft off the Gatwick runway. “It is intolerable that new misery and decline in house values should be caused just to create extra profit.”
Click here to view full story...
Facebook campaign launched by local frequent flyer to ‘save’ Durham Tees Valley Airport
A frequent flyer who uses Durham Tees Valley airport has launched a Facebook campaign to ‘save’ the Airport. She is concerned about the airport's "master plan." This aims to secure the airport’s long term future by the development of 400 homes on land to the west and north of the terminal which officials say would generate millions of pounds of investment to put back into the airport. The frequent flyer says she gets "so frustrated that we cannot use Teesside Airport." The Facebook page has over 2,000 "likes" with many people irritated by the behaviour of t he owners, Peel Holdings. One typical post says: "COME ON people of the North East.....we have a mountain to climb ......we MUST get our message across to politicians and councils (supposedly who have our interests at heart) that we are not prepared to sit back and watch this "BEAST" of a company take our airport away !!!" The airport had 159,300 passengers in 2013 compared with over 900,000 in 2005 and 2006.
Click here to view full story...
London MPs and Councils challenge Airports Commission on aircraft noise with updated “ANASE” report
In 2005 the ANASE (Attitudes to Noise from Aviation Sources in England) report into what level of sound caused community annoyance was undertaken, and it indicated that the 57 decibel contour - the measure the UK authorities still use - did not satisfactorily measure aircraft noise. In reality, significant annoyance was caused at much lower level of sound exposure. However, this finding was inconvenient and so the report was shelved by the government. The 57 dB contour is still being used, and is the measure being used by the Airports Commission. The ANASE report has now been revised and updated, and this new report has just been launched by Hillingdon Council on behalf of the all-party 2M Group of councils opposed to Heathrow expansion. It shows far more people are badly affected by aircraft noise than the 57 dB countour would suggest. The 2M group are asking that the Commission investigate a new, more rigorous noise metric with which to assess and compare the noise impacts and costs of all the airport proposals. They say the Commission's decision on a new runway cannot be based on seriously out of date evidence which bears no resemblance to real-life experience.
Click here to view full story...
Manchester Airport Enterprise Zone causing piecemeal environmental destruction of Green Belt countryside
The new Manchester Airport Enterprise Zone is causing the piecemeal environmental destruction of Green Belt countryside. There are local concerns that airport-centric urban sprawl is destroying green space and open countryside, and locking in reliance on fossil fuel intensive infrastructure. The development of an Enterprise Zone, link road and 9,000-space car park is proceeding apace in the face of resistance from local communities. Planning permission is being granted in a piecemeal fashion, so there is little publicity of, or opportunity to oppose, the overarching goal: increasing climate damaging transportation. Construction of a key component of the Zone, the World Logistics Hub, with 43 warehouses, office space and a 1,473 space car park has already begun. Earthworks, tree felling and installation of drainage are already under way, and wildlife and habitats are being destroyed. There are likely to be fewer new jobs than expected, as many will just move in from elsewhere for the tax breaks and subsidies. Government backing for the Enterprise Zone suggests a desperate shortage of business space in the area. In fact, there is a surfeit of empty offices, warehouses and paved areas. More detail from Rose Bridger.
Click here to view full story...
Berlin’s Schönefeld airport ‘to stay open’ as Brandenburg airport (at huge expense) not ready till 2015 at the earliest
Berlin’s old Schönefeld airport is likely to remain open as a destination for budget airlines despite a multi-billion airport being built next to it, at Berlin Brandenburg (BER), as the new international hub is too small. It is the latest in a long line of setbacks to hit the BER, which is over budget and behind time. It will have two runways. It is expected to open in 2015 at the earliest. Officially the cost of the airport is €4.3 billion, though initial cost estimates were €1.2 and it could cost up to €6 billion. Despite the huge cost, the airport will only have a capacity of 27 million passengers a year, so its ageing neighbour, Schönefeld, will need to stay open. The original plan had been for Schönefeld, which caters for budget airlines, to merge with BER. Keeping Schönefeld in operation would increase capacity by 7.5 million passengers a year and avoid further costs of building a new terminal. Earlier it had been expected that BER could be partly in use in 2014, with 10 planes per day, but that will not happen. The airport was initially intended to open in 2010 but the multiple delays have been due to difficulties concerning fire safety, the smoke exhaust systems and construction errors. Air Berlin is suing BER for damages due to the much delayed opening.
Click here to view full story...
Heathrow cutting 200 jobs (20% of total core staff) due to CAA restriction on landing charge rises
Heathrow Airport is planning to cut 20% of its core workforce despite turning its first profit since 2006 and said it is undergoing a “major” restructuring. Its full-year results statement showed it made a £426m pre-tax profit last year, up from a £33m loss previously, helped by the £1.5bn sale of Stansted in February 2013. Heathrow says it is making the staff cuts due to the CAA not allowing it to increase landing charges, though Heathrow can appeal till March 27th. These will be reduced in real terms by 1.5% below the rate of inflation every year until 2019. Colin Matthews said the cuts are likely to affect around 200 staff but no front-line roles, such as security, will be affected. Heathrow employs 7,000 people in total but 1,000 of those roles are part of its “central” head office structure, which is where the job losses are, partly due to having sold off its other airports. In 2013 Heathrow’s revenue rose 11.3%to £2.5bn, and it had 72.3 million passengers, though that is far below earlier forecasts for 2013 traffic. Excluding money from selling Stansted, Heathrow's EBITDA rose 23.1% in 2013 to £1.4bn. The number employed by Heathrow Airport Ltd in 2012 was 5,278 (compared to 5,265 in 2011 and 5,148 in 2010).
Click here to view full story...
Aircraft operators hit with ETS non-compliance penalty as EU states send out enforcement notices
As part of the process of enforcing payments for carbon emissions by airlines in the ETS, notices have been sent to airlines and business jet operators that failed to comply with regulations in 2012. It is understood that one Europe-based commercial business jet owner has received a penalty from the UK authorities of some half a million euros for failing to surrender the required number of allowances by the 30 April 2013 deadline. The main EU countries (UK, German, France etc) have responsibility as Competent Authorities (CAs) for sending notices for non-compliance on the airlines of selected countries. Member states have an obligation to issue fines of €100 for every tonne of CO2 an aircraft operator fails to submit an allowance to cover. The various Member States have taken different approaches, with some countries more assiduous than others. Some EU authorities are faced with enforcing penalties on Chinese, Indian and Russian operators that carried out intra-European flights in 2012 but failed to comply with the EU ETS ‘Stop the Clock’ regime. The "Stop the Clock" derogation during 2013 meant the obligation to report emissions from intercontinental flights to and from Europe were temporarily suspended. EU states are under pressure to act from EU politicians unhappy at what they see as ‘feet-dragging’ over enforcing compliance. More detail from GreenAir online.
Click here to view full story...
‘Unclear whether government, Mayor or local authorities would pay EU air quality fines for London
Air quality experts and politicians have reacted to the EU’s decision to pursue legal action against the UK government for breaching limits for NO2 in 16 of 43 zones in the country and failing to reduce concentrations by the 2010 deadline. There are questions whether the UK government or local authorities would pay the £300 million fines that could be levied. If the government passes the fines on to local authorities, this will be harsh and counter-productive to good local air quality management, which is already struggling for resources at local level. With improvements to car engines, some reduction in NO2 is expected in coming years: "by around 2030 the Euro 6 [vehicle emissions standards] and subsequent standards will have brought compliance just about everywhere with NO2." An expert commentted: "...you are not going to improve NOx and NO2 unless you really target road transport in cities and towns. Nothing else is really going to deliver." London was singled out as having the highest levels of NO2 emissions of any city in Europe. Murad Qureshi thought at least a sizeable part of a possible EU fine would have to be paid by the Mayor of London. Air quality is poor around Heathrow.
Click here to view full story...
ANASE study on attitudes to aircraft noise to be updated to show real impact of Heathrow flight paths
The Sunday Times reports that on 26th February the researchers who worked on the ANASE (Attitudes to Noise from Aviation Sources in England) study of the effect of aircraft noise will publish an updated report. The 2007 ANASE was an expensive and extensive study, looking at what levels of aircraft noise annoyed people being overflown. It found that, contrary to the "prevailing wisdom" the widely used 57 decibel contour was not the actual threshold of community annoyance. In reality, much lower noise levels caused annoyance, and also upset and disturbed people. The research suggests that significant annoyance starts at about 50dB. The reality is that many areas (including Putney, Battersea, East Sheen, Barnes and Ealing), which are not included in the 57dB contour are badly affected by aircraft noise.The ANASE study was shelved, partly due to methodological criticisms. Now it is being updated and published by councils opposed to an increased number of flights over London, if Heathrow was to be allowed another runway. Researchers say subsequent European research into aircraft noise backs its initial ANASE findings.
Click here to view full story...
The Nantes protest and rioting against proposed airport – blog by John Stewart
In a blog about the huge demonstration, part of which turned in to rioting, at Nantes against the proposed new airport, John Stewart looks at how this protest came about - and its relevance to other large infrastructure projects in Europe. The Nantes protest organisers say as many as 50,000 people attended, from supportive protest committees from areas across France. The politics of this airport project have taken on national interest and significance, and also linked into opposition to "Les Grands Projets Inutiles Imposes" (useless, imposed mega-projects). The people passionately fighting plans for a new airport in unspoiled French farming countryside are linked to those opposing HS2 and other schemes like a high-speed rail in Northern Italy and cyanide-mined gold extraction project in Romania. All these projects have managed to get support from very disparate sections of society. They all have real doubts about the economics or the necessity of the project; also they have land, homes, countryside or communities to defend; there is significant local opposition; and they also attract in outside opposition, from people with a variety of perspective as well as environmental.
Click here to view full story...
Huge protest in centre of Nantes against new airport – forceful police resistance; some rioting, violence and injuries
A huge protest took place in Nantes on 22nd February, against the planned new replacement airport to be built at Notre Dame des Landes, some miles to the north. The organisers estimated some 50 - 60,000 protesters, who came in from supportive groups from regions all across France. There are reported to have been 65 coach loads of protesters who travelled to Nantes to take part, and 520 tractors, brought by supportive farmers from surrounding areas. The protests were put down with considerable force by the police, using water canon, rubber bullets and tear gas. The issue has become very political in France. With elections coming up this year, the Prime Minister (and former Mayor of Nantes and ardent backer of the new airport) is thought unlikely to back down from pressing for the airport. However, it is not thought likely that there will be forceful evictions of the farmers and activists who are occupying the land allocated for the airport, called the ZAD - Zone à Défendre as it would be unpopular. An opinion poll found 56% of those surveyed were against the new airport. The courts have ruled it can go ahead, but there are appeals on ground of the law on water and on biodiversity.
Click here to view full story...
Partners Group including Strathclyde Pension Fund also bidding to buy Glasgow airport
Ferrovial has recently made a bid to buy Glasgow airport as well as Southampton and Aberdeen airports. Now Glasgow city council's pension fund - the Strathclyde Pension Fund (the wealthiest council pension fund in the UK) - is part of a bid consortium that is also bidding for Glasgow airport. The consortium includes Partners Group and Zurich Airport. Partners Group is a global private markets investment management firm. A decision by the Strathclyde Pension Fund group to try and buy Glasgow could spark a bidding war. The bid is supported by the Glasgow city council leader and the Renfrewshire council leader. If their bid was successful, public involvement in a takeover for Glasgow would place it in direct competition with Prestwick, which was bought by the Scottish Government last year. That could mean a political conflict between Labour-run Glasgow and the SNP administration at Holyrood. The Strathclyde Pension Fund has spread its investments across a wide range of areas and has a stake in Samsung and Apple, as well as property portfolio which includes a Wolverhampton shopping centre and an office block in Hong Kong.
Click here to view full story...
FT reports that uncertain privatisation of AENA casts doubt over its stalled Luton expansion plans
Spanish airport operator, AENA, bought Luton airport in summer 2013 from Abertis. AENA is one of the world’s biggest airport operators in terms of passenger numbers, and manages Spain’s major airports. It also owns minority stakes in 15 more airports around the world. The FT says that now their plans are in doubt and Luton has a question mark over its future. Luton is the UK's 5th largest airport in terms of passengers, and is the base for easyJet. AENA had plans to expand Luton, taking its annual number of passengers from around 9 million to 18 million - plans that have been fiercely opposed locally. AENA had plans to compete with French airport operator ADP, Germany’s Fraport and Singapore’s Changi. The FT says now AENA's future is unclear and whether government will allow it to be largely privatised. This is having an impact on its Luton plans. The Luton expansion is being held up, or is on a back burner. The privatisation is a political matter within the Spanish government, and whether it has to sell assets to rescue the nation's economy. The government hope to avoid selling much of AENA, and if it stays under state control, its Luton expansion plans may be scrapped.
Click here to view full story...
Redhill Aerodrome runway appeal, for a hard runway, dismissed by Planning Inspector
Plans to build a hard runway in place of its 3 existing grass runways at Redhil aerodrome have been refused by a planning inspector. The owners of Redhill Aerodrome, RAV, had wanted the hard runway in order to have aircraft movements all year, even in bad weather, and to increase the number of flights from 60,000 to 85,000 a year. Following last month's public inquiry, the planning inspectorate ruled the development was "inappropriate" and could "harm the green belt". Reigate and Banstead Council and Tandridge Council rejected the scheme last year, saying it was inappropriate development in Green Belt, so RAV appealed. Local residents groups and Surrey Campaign for the Protection of Rural England (CPRE) were among objectors who gave evidence to the inquiry. Local Conservative MPs Crispin Blunt and Sam Gyimah lodged formal objections against the development, saying the economic case was weak and it would cause major detrimental impacts on the surrounding area. The airfield flooded as a result of heavy storms last month.
Click here to view full story...
Ealing Council Leader voices strong opposition to night flights: “One arrival before 6am is one too many”
Ealing Council have added their voice to the complaints about the recommendation buried in an appendix to the Airports Commission interim report that there could be double the number of Heathrow night flights as at present. Ealing Council is part of the 2M group, which is an all-party alliance of more than 20 local authorities concerned at the environmental impact of Heathrow expansion on their communities. Leader of Ealing Council and 2M spokesman, Cllr Julian Bell, said: “We shouldn’t have to dig deep into a technical document to find out increases in night flights are proposed." Ealing and the 2M group have fought for years for a ban on night flights, and do not find an increase acceptable. The proposal is one of the short or medium-term recommendations to make maximum use of the existing runways at Heathrow. Under a proposal called ‘early morning smoothing’, Heathrow would be allowed to land additional planes between 5am and 6am, which is classified as the night quota period. The aim is to minimise delays and could allow the airport to manage with one runway for arrivals between 6am and 7am.
Click here to view full story...
Sandbag blog: Aviation in the ETS – still no deal
If EU governments have kept their word, letters should now be landing on the doormats of the airlines across the world who haven’t complied with the ETS. This last minute notice of penalties for non-compliant airlines is a desperate last minute attempt to show that EU laws will be applied when airlines operate in Europe. Sandbag say that though the EU data is sketchy, a number of airlines, including China Eastern and Air India, were missing from EU records, despite the law saying they should pay for their CO2 when they flew from one EU airport to another (the UK won't currently confirm who isn't compliant). Now the proposals for a change to the scheme are in trialogue discussion between the three pillars of the EU government, the Commission, the Parliament and the Council. MEP Peter Liese, who is leading the ETS proposals, has said he is willing to compromise further, and allow the current limited scheme to continue for 2 more years. This unsatisfactory and weak position suits EU member states afraid of confrontation or trade wars with China, India etc. Peter Liese wants EU member states to agree that the ETS should revert to full coverage (not only within Europe as at present) in 2016.
Click here to view full story...
European Commission launches legal action against UK over failure to reduce air pollution
The European Commission has launched legal proceedings over levels of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) in many British cities. There has been a long-running legal battle between London and Brussels over the 16 urban centres in the UK that will not be able to meet binding air quality standards by 2015, despite being granted a 5-year extension following the original 2010 deadline for compliance with the rules. 15 of the affected zones will not meet the standards until 2020 and parts of London are unlikely to meet NO2 standards until 2025, a full 15 years later than the original deadline. The EC has now started the legal case, which is likely to result in hefty fines of many millions of ££s which should have the effect of accelerating efforts to tackle air pollution. The zones included Greater London and the South East. The legal case has been precipitated by the environmental campaign group ClientEarth. The UK has some of the highest levels of NO2 in Europe. The UK government now has 2 months to respond to the EC's legal action. The Heathrow area has bad air quality levels, due partly to the planes but with an even higher proportion from the intense road traffic, especially diesel vehicles, that the airport attracts.
Click here to view full story...
European Commission opens the floodgates to public aid for airports and low-cost airlines
Responding to the announcement of the new EC guidelines on state aid allowed to airports and airlines in the EU, the European transport NGO "Transport & Environment" said it was outraged at the increase in subsidies to be allowed. The guidelines will allow regional airports and the airlines serving them to keep receiving subsidies worth an estimated €2-3 billion a year. This means an increased flow of taxpayers’ money towards regional airports for at least the next decade, and allow infrastructure aid for expanding airport facilities to continue permanently - regrettably including no meaningful checks on duplication of airports within a few hundred kilometres of each other. The guidelines also declare that past operating aid, which up till now has been illegal, will retroactively be made legal. T&E says this "gives a new blank cheque to airports and airlines that fail to boost local economies. Why must everybody pay so that the better off can fly more often and for cheaper?" Operating aid is designed to cover the cost of running small airports, such as personnel and maintenance. Instead, operating aid has been used to lower airport fees to attract low-cost carriers, distorting competition and fuelling artificial demand for flying.
Click here to view full story...
European Commission Commission adopts new guidelines for state aid to airports and airlines
The European Commission has now adopted new guidelines on how Member States can financially support airports and airlines in line with EU state aid rules. The EC says the guidelines are "aimed at ensuring good connections between regions and the mobility of European citizens, while minimising distortions of competition in the Single Market." The aim is to ensure fair competition for flag carriers down to low-cost airlines, from regional airports to major hub airports and avoid overcapacity and the duplication of unprofitable airports. Aid is allowed if there is seen to be a genuine need for accessibility by air to a region. Operating aid to regional airports (with less than 3 million passengers a year) will be allowed for a transitional period of 10 years under certain conditions, in order to give airports time to adjust their business model. Airports will less than 700 000 passengers a year get more favourable treatment. Start-up aid to airlines to launch a new air route is permitted provided it remains limited in time. The formal adoption of the new guidelines in is expected by March 2014.
Click here to view full story...
Bavarian Administrative Court rules that building a 3rd runway at Munich airport is lawful
The Bavarian government in southern Germany have been trying for some time to get consent for a 3rd runway at Munich airport, to the north of the existing airport. The 300 or so runway opponents in the court greeted the news with boos and by singing the Bavaria national anthem. On 19th February the Bavarian Administrative Court (VGH) ruled that the runway can go ahead, when they rejected the 17 lawsuits against the project. The project was halted by a referendum in June 2012, when by a majority vote the people of Munich expressed their opposition to the runway, which would demolish the village of Attaching. However the legal judgement is not the end to the story, and the fight is expected to continue. Those opposed to the runway point out that a runway is not needed as the number of flights has fallen over recent years and the current runways have plenty of spare capacity, with the advent of larger aircraft. Though the result of the 2012 referendum was only valid for one year, the political parties in Munich are very aware if local opposition to the runway, and they need their votes. It is the state government and economic lobbies that want the runway. Opponents.will fight on.
Click here to view full story...
Ferrovial makes bid to buy Aberdeen, Glasgow & Southampton airports – hoping to make more profit than at Heathrow
Ferrovial had made an offer - for an undisclosed amount - to buy Aberdeen, Glasgow and Southampton airports from its partners in Heathrow Airport Holdings. The price might be as much as £800 million. Ferrovial is the largest shareholder in Heathrow, with 25%. Heathrow Holdings has made it clear for sometime that it is eager to sell its other remaining airports. It is understood that Ferrovial is not making the offer in partnership with any other company, though some reports suggest that Australian infrastructure companies Macquarie and Industry Funds Management are also involved. It is not known if Ferrovial's bid will be accepted. A Portuguese bank has valued the 3 airports at £952m using an equity value/earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation of 12.3 times for Aberdeen and Glasgow and 10.7 times for Southampton. Ferrovial bought BAA in 2006 for £10.3bn. It has since offloaded Gatwick, Stansted and Edinburgh in order to lower its debt. Now it is keen to buy again. Ferrovial hopes UK regional airports will grow strongly for the next few years, if the UK economy starts to grow, as they have a large amount of unused capacity. By contrast, the CAA has limited the amount Heathrow can charge airlines for landing charges, so decreasing the return available from Heathrow.
Click here to view full story...
The truth behind (not so) cheap flights – the immense annual state subsidies to small airports & cheap airlines
In a recent blog, Jacek Krawczyk, who is the president of the Employers' Group of the European Economic & Social Committee, describes how the current system of state subsidies to European airports and airlines works - and how damaging its effects are. He says aviation needs to be treated like any other business, a "level playing field" without financial help given to some airlines, and the sector should have less subsidy. In response to the question how Ryanair flights can be so cheap, the answer is that they get subsidies for flying into small regional airports. This artificially boosts demand for flights. As much as 20% of Ryanair's revenues are from subsidies, from reduced taxes, preferential ground handling rates and marketing funds. These subsidies could be as much as €10 per passenger to the airline. Krawczyk says almost half of European airports (of which there are too many) generate losses, and more than half if state aid is subtracted from their revenues. The low cost carriers say they get cheap deals with airports by standard business negotiations, while regular airlines get huge amounts of subside direct from governments, from being out-competed by the low cost carriers. "There is a great opportunity here to prepare the first in-depth, complete and PUBLIC report showing how much public aid is pumped into the aviation sector and how those resources are spent."
Click here to view full story...
Government response rejects petition asking for no APD during school summer holidays
A petition to the Treasury has been created, asking that the government suspend or reduce Air Passenger Duty (APD)during the school summer holidays. The petition says British families need quality time together at a time they legally can (parents are not meant to take children out of school in term time). Quite why the families have to get on a plane in order to have quality time together is not explained. As the number signing is now around 38,000 there has been a response from the government. They say "APD exists to provide revenues for the public services. Revenue from APD plays an important part in supporting this Government’s stabilisation of the UK’s public finances." They add that APD is charged by the airlines, and they have the option of not passing the cost on to the passengers. They also say that APD for the majority of flights, which are to Europe, is only £13 for a return trip. "The duty makes up a relatively small proportion of the total ticket cost. For example, it is less than 9% of the cost of an early booking for return flights for a family of four to Málaga in July 2014. Other charges imposed by airlines, such as fuel or luggage surcharges, can make up a much higher proportion of the total ticket price." The industry ramps up the price of flights and holidays during July and August, by far more than the price of APD. For instance, holiday price £2,015.59 in August and £1,214 for the same trip in late September.
Click here to view full story...
“Independent Transport Commission” produces yet another report advocating a 3rd Heathrow runway
A small think tank on transport, called the "Independent Transport Commission" (many of whose members are backers are from the aviation industry) has commissioned another report, reiterating their claim that the UK needs a hub and so a 3rd runway at Heathrow is needed. The main reason they give is: "To protect and develop the UK’s global “direct” connectivity and to ensure new routes are launched from the UK before our European competitors." They produced a similar report in May 2013, calling for a large hub, though at that stage they also backed Stansted or the estuary for their mega airport. This new report does not mention climate or carbon emissions once, and suggests another runway might be added by mid century. It has looked at the hub-and-spoke model and its associated issues, and the long distance point-to-point model - and they advocate one large hub for most of the long haul traffic, at least "for the foreseeable future." The report highlights the role of transfer passengers in making long-haul routes viable and say only a hub with at least 3 runways (ie Heathrow) "would allow airlines to provide an extensive network of long-haul routes". The UK aviation lobby is terrified of being out-competed by European rivals, and Heathrow not being "top hub".
Click here to view full story...
European Commission to clarify state aid to airports – making ineligible those with over 3 million passengers per year
Across Europe, State aid to small regional airports has until now been ambiguously regulated by measures that date from 1994 and 2005. Much of the aid has probably been illegal, because it has been operational aid that is used to subsidise airport fees for airlines. These savings are then passed on to customers - subsidising their flights. Budget airlines such as Ryanair have taken advantage of this situation and made a lot of profit on it, as well as encouraging artificially cheap air travel. The European Commission is now to produce new guidelines on state aid to airports and airlines, to be publicised on 19th February. The Commission has 50 pending cases of suspected violations of state aid rules, but none has been acted upon for fear of forcing small airports to close. Large airports and airlines have complained that they are being put at a disadvantage by subsidies to their smaller competitors. It is likely that the new guidelines will only allow state aid for 10 years from now, and introduce a threshold so airports with over 3 million passengers per year are not eligible. Environmental campaigners are angry that the guidelines will legitimise a previously illegal practice. It will cause a growth in air travel, contrary to the aim stated by the EU's white paper on transport of moving passengers from air to rail.
Click here to view full story...
China’s CAAC has granted Sinopec a license allowing aviation biofuel to be made from rapeseed, palm oil & soybean oil
China's oil refiner, Sinopec, has been given a license allowing commercial use of its aviation biofuel by airlines. There was a biofuel test flight in 2013 using fuel made from from hydrotreated palm oil and recycled cooking oil. Sinopec said it can now produce bio-jet fuel from a wide range of raw material feedstock, including rapeseed oil, palm oil and soybean oil ( which competes with human and animal food). Sinopec started research on aviation biofuel in 2009, and its application for commercial use was accepted by CAAC in early 2012. Sinopec can produce 3,000 tonnes of the fuel per year, from rape seed, cotton seed and waste cooking oil. The company is considering joining with private enterprise in planting, collecting and processing these source oils, as well as getting waste cooking oil from McDonald's. Sinopec claims their biofuels generate 45% less CO2 than conventional fuels. China is the world's largest oil importer and 58.1% of its 2013 came from imports.China is now the 2nd largest consumer of aviation fuel, consuming nearly 20 million tonnes per year. Its jet fuel demand is estimated to be expanding by 10% every year, while the global average is less than 5%. The production costs of aviation biofuel remain at least 2 - 3 times those of crude oil.
Click here to view full story...
The guilty little high-carbon secrets of those lovely, innocent, romantic Valentine roses
Valentine's Day is traditionally the day, in the US, UK and much of Europe (banned in Saudi Arabia) when flowers, especially red roses, are given. Many of these are airfreighted thousands of miles. This year it is reported that IAG Cargo carried nearly 800 tons of flowers for Valentine’s Day. The most common varieties carried by IAG are roses and carnations coming from Ecuador, Colombia, Kenya, Costa Rica, Guatemala and South Africa. The main destinations for these flowers are Madrid and London, followed by other Spanish cities, along with Lisbon, Rome, Amsterdam, and Munich. Mothers' Day is another peak day, with other saints days in European countries. LAN Cargo and its affiliates said they transport over 15 million bouquets of flowers all over the world during the month before 14th February. They say between January 20 and February 9, around 200 LAN Cargo flights took off from Colombia, and Ecuador with an average of 2,100 tonnes of flowers daily. The main destinations of these flights are the USA and the Netherlands with the majority via Miami. Lufthansa Cargo said it flew around 1,000 tonnes of roses to Frankfurt this year, transporting up to 90 tonnes of roses on a single flight. The numbers are up on 2013. IATA says air freighting flowers is more "sustainable" than growing them in heated greenhouses in cold countries.
Click here to view full story...
Group of business people, led by London First, again lobby Transport Secretary for airport expansion
More lobbying by big business backers of aviation expansion continues, as the try to persuade the government that everything must be done to expand current capacity, even before the runway they want gets built. They claim this is important for the UK economy, and necessary for the UK to "stay internationally competitive." Some 52 business people have signed a letter to the Transport Secretary, Patrick McLoughlin, published in the Telegraph (where else ?) putting their demands. They want ministers to act on interim recommendations made by the Airports Commission, such as more Heathrow flights, and improving rail access to Stansted and Gatwick. They want action quickly and presume that adding more runway capacity for more people to take more leisure flights will somehow boost "UK’s global competitiveness”.They also want an independent ombudsman to oversee changes to restrictions on the timing of flights at Heathrow, to try and get over opposition to more flights, and night flights, which is partly what prevents another Heathrow runway. They want more flights, regardless of the impacts on those overflown or living near airports.
Click here to view full story...
Council Leader says Hounslow will ‘fight to the last’ to prevent mixed mode at Heathrow
Hounslow Council have voiced their opposition to a report by York Aviation saying that using mixed mode on both Heathrow runways would, allegedly " boost UK economy by £206 million a year" from 2023, They say mixed mode is not acceptable and Hounslow residents will not tolerate losing their half days of relief from plane noise. The report was commmissioned by the City of London Corporation and business pressure group London First, which are both keen to seen aviation expansion - both in the short term, and in the longer term by adding a new runway. They do not appear to be concerned about the level of noise this would subject Londoners to. At present there is (most of the time, except for when the A380 lands and in other situations) one runway is used for arrivals and one for departures, with the roles switching at 3pm each afternoon to ensure some respite for those under the flight paths. 80% of Hounslow residents are in favour of keeping runway alternation. Hounslow Council's deputy leader Colin Ellar said: "We will fight to the last to protect our residents from being subjected to more aircraft noise. While Heathrow is very important to us economically, the introduction of mixed mode flies in the face of a better airport."
Click here to view full story...
Full details of extent of Heathrow night flight plans ‘dug up’ by Leader of Wandsworth Council
The full extent of the Government’s plans to increase night flights into Heathrow has been “dug up” by anti-noise campaigners in the technical appendix of an Airports Commission's interim report. The report was publicised on 17th December. The appendix shows that the number of planes allowed to land at Heathrow before 6am will increase from 16 to 35 from next year. Leader of the anti-Heathrow nights flights opposition, Ravi Govindia (also Leader of Wandsworth Council) said: “We shouldn’t have to dig deep into a technical document to find out what is in store for us.” Heathrow wants the amount of "stacking" to be reduced before the morning rush-hour. They say residents would be given "respite" from the noise, by having more in alternate weeks, followed by a week without planes. Mr Govindia, who is also the leader of the 2M group of 20 councils opposed to expansion of Heathrow, said people on the final approach flight paths into Heathrow were “deeply opposed” to the early-morning arrivals, which affect their sleep and are linked to serious health issues. The Airports Commission said: “We have recommended a trial of early-morning smoothing. A trial provides the opportunity for communities around Heathrow to experience and comment on the impacts.”
Click here to view full story...
Local blog from Horsham – with concerns about the Gatwick Diamond’s pressure for 2nd runway
In a blog for the local newspaper in Horsham, near Gatwick, columnist Nik Butler considers what it means that Horsham Council is apparently part of the entity called the "Gatwick Diamond." The “Diamond” is a notional idea developed to create economic benefit by highlighting the relationship between the central value of Gatwick airport and the surrounding secondary and tertiary businesses. It is rich in buzzwords like sustainable, economic, knowledge based, etc. Its focus is on the economic development and planning framework for the area, and it is gung ho for a 2nd Gatwick runway. Its ambitions are bound up with a new runway, and the massive developments that would be needed. Nik Butler says the reasons put forward for a new runway need to be opened up and thoroughly reviewed. "The phrase “sustainable” should be the first on the midden heap of marketing; there is nothing sustainable in the combustion of jet fuel until we find alternative renewable fuels for those jets......Jobs will be created, possibly, but are they jobs with a salary suitable enough to afford local properties?" He suggests "Don’t be taken in by buzz words or marketing" without considering the whole infrastructure required. Horsham may end up worse off.
Click here to view full story...
Baffling world of airport retail; cheapest possible tickets, most expensive possible terminal shopping
A frequent flier writes in a blog how he is baffled by airport retail policy and why "shops that you find in airports succeed or how this market is designed. If you consider that a large percentage of the folks wandering around the terminal spent a disproportionate amount of time online searching for the cheapest possible deal, then surely you wouldn’t expect them to walk into this terminal-come-shopping mall and spend £495 on a pair of socks? Ok, maybe not £495 but you get the point. It doesn’t make sense." Heathrow Terminal 5 looks more like Rodeo Drive, except for maybe Dixons and Boots, which are the only visible high street options. Even at Stansted, where " 90% of the passengers spent more on their McDonald’s breakfast than they did on their tickets" though it has sensible shops landside, but after security, only up market shops. Yet the airports make immense profits from their retail sales. So much for the need for cheap flights and complaints about paying APD. In 2012 Heathrow was 3rd in the world for the amount of airport retail spending ( £831.7m - $1.34 bn - by 70 million passengers); Incheon Airport in Seoul was in 1st place $1.73 bn by 38.4million); and Dubai in 2nd place ($1.6bn by 57.6m passengers). Hong Kong, Singapore Changi, Bangkok, Paris, Frankfurt, Schiphol came next.
Click here to view full story...
“Fly Stansted” campaign to boost its passenger numbers due to its ‘unrivalled’ European network
Stansted airport has a new campaign it is calling "Fly Stansted." It hopes to raise awareness of its large number of routes to European destinations - which it says it more than any other UK airport. Stansted says it has more than 150 direct scheduled connections available on its route network. Extended across Essex, Hertfordshire, Cambridgeshire and key areas of London, Stansted's promotion campaign highlight s its good record on flight delays. Stansted also - now owned tthe Manchester Airports Group - has a project under way to improve the terminal building and its shops. at London’s third busiest airport. Andrew Harrison, airport managing director, said: ‘We know that 46 million air journeys are made each year by passengers living in the area around Stansted but only 12 million of those flights are taken from the airport itself." Stansted flights are mainly to holiday destinations, by low cost carriers. Stansted used to have the 3rd highest passenger numbers of UK airports, but has been passed by Manchester in recent years. 2013 was the first year since 2007 when its number of air passengers has not fallen.
Click here to view full story...
Heathrow bid to end Cranford Agreement – allowing easterly take-offs from northern runway – is rejected by Hillingdon Council
The Cranford Agreement was a binding commitment the UK government made in 1952 to the residents of Cranford to reduce the impact of aircraft noise on residents. It prohibits, under normal Heathrow Airport operations, easterly take-offs (i.e. towards central London) on the northern runway. In January 2009, the government announced it was ending the Agreement (as part of consultations on a proposed Third Runway). In September 2010 the current UK government reaffirmed the decision to end the Cranford Agreement. A planning application by Heathrow airport in June 2013 concerns the creation of taxiways on the Northern Runway, required to enable the practical implementation of the ending of the Agreement as well as consideration of the associated environmental impacts. It also included the erection of a 5m high noise barrier around parts of the village of Longford. This application has now been unanimously rejected by Hillingdon Council - which means Heathrow will not be able to have regular departures to the east from the northern runway. This preserves the 60-year-old gentlemen's agreement protecting Cranford residents from the noise. The downside is that people living in Windsor and Maidenhead continue to endure more landings. Heathrow is considering whether to appeal.
Click here to view full story...
New nature reserve to be created by London Wildlife Trust under northern runway approach, at Cranford
An area of green space, called Crane Meadows in Cranford, which cannot be used for housing due to its proximity to Heathrow under the flight path, was previously owned by BAA, and Hillingdon and Hounslow councils. It passed into the hands of the London Wildlife Trust in 2010 after boundary changes. The land has not until now been open to the public, but the London Wildlife Trust intends to make it an accessible public nature reserve and open space. It has a public consultation with local people on its plans - ending at the end of March 2014. Though very noisy when planes are landing, the area has a mix of grasslands, woods, meadow and wetlands and a range of animals and plants. The Trust wants to know how people want to see the space altered and where access should be provided. The Trust wants to provide volunteering opportunities, organised activities, outdoor education sessions for children and adults [these sessions could only be possible for the half day, with runway alternation, when planes are not thundering overhead]. The site was once market gardens and still contains old fruit trees, from the days before Heathrow was built in the 1940s.
Click here to view full story...
York Aviation report says ending Heathrow runway alternation and other short term measures would financially benefit UK
It is rather quiet on the aviation news front at the moment, so time for some publicity for the airports trying to get their runway plans accepted. Backers of Heathrow expansion (London First and the City of London Corporation and Let Britain Fly) have quoted from a report that they hope strengthens their case for a runway to be built as soon as possible. The report is by a firm called York Aviation - which has done a great many reports in the past, with dubious economics that exaggerates one case, while ignoring inconvenient facts that detract from their argument. The York Aviation report says there would be £206 million of economic benefit to the British economy if runway alternation was ended at Heathrow, so both runways were used in mixed mode. This would be deeply unpopular with tens of thousands (even hundreds of thousands perhaps as some 725,000 are overflown) and is why Heathrow airport itself is wary of advocating this. York Aviation also says reducing delays at Heathrow by an average of 2 minutes would result in further savings of £125m. [Really?? for 2 minutes for each person?] But - they say - these benefits are limited compared to the huge benefits of a new runway .... so better get on with it......
Click here to view full story...
The environmental implications of the Airports Commission’s backing for a new south-east runway
In a recent blog, Tim Johnson (Director of the Aviation Environment Federation) says of the current pressure to build another south east runway, that the environmental implications need to be assessed very carefully indeed, before any consent is considered. Aircraft noise remains the principal source of community conflict with airports. Noise does not merely cause annoyance, but there is also growing evidence supporting a correlation between aviation noise and ill health. There is also an established relationship between air quality and health and the EU’s legal limits mean that any expansion plans must guarantee the limits will not be breached. Aviation’s contribution to climate change remains one of the fasting growing sources of greenhouse gas emissions. UK aviation emissions already contribute around 6% of our total emissions with that proportion set to grow to 25% by 2050 (even if aviation emissions are maintained at 2005 levels). Unfortunately the Airports Commission has reached a decision on the need for a new runway before it has made an appraisal of the local issues. It is unfortunate that the Commission has made the mistake of viewing climate change, as well as local impacts of noise and air pollution as mere afterthoughts to their interim conclusions.
Click here to view full story...
Opponents of expanding Billy Bishop lakeside airport in Toronto say they will not compromise in fighting the damaging plans
The fight by Toronto citizens against permission for much noisier jets to use Billy Bishop lakeside airport continues. There has been the suggestion that there could be “compromise” to resolve the dispute. Opponents do not accept this, as the impact of effectively doubling the size of the lakeside airport - with jets not turboprops; with greatly lengthened runway and rows of light approach towers extending up to 700 metres beyond the runways; and planes landing and taking off every two minutes. There would also need to be high and obtrusive walls lining the runways to shield small boats using the lake from jet thrust. And on the land side, doubled volumes of traffic carrying passengers, jet fuel, services and etc creating bad road congestion. That is on top of noise concerns, impacts on air quality and habitat. Concerned residents fear the expansion means not a change in degree, but a different kind of airport. The justifications for the rush to judgement to approve this massive shift are convenience for some business travellers and a purported economic advantage. Campaigners against say both are specious. Much more important is what would be sacrificed. Toronto people love their waterfront, which has been improved by adding new and improved places for the public to enjoy. The airport would destroy much of that.
Click here to view full story...
Belfast International Airport loses out to Dublin in the race for long-haul routes
Planned new long-haul routes from Northern Ireland' Belfast International airport to Toronto and Abu Dhabi will not be introduced this year, raising fears that our main airport is being allowed to stagnate. The routes won't operate till the end of 2014, at the earliest. There are fears that the airport has little or no future as an international hub without immediate government help, as it cannot compete with Dublin for lucrative international air routes. Dublin has almost 5 times as many passengers. It has been stagnating for years. By contrast, Dublin Airport is booming. BIA has only one long-haul route – a New York-Newark service – which was only saved three years ago after an 11th hour U-turn by Chancellor George Osborne allowing Northern Ireland to stop charging APD. Northern Ireland cannot compete with the Republic, which can offer airlines huge financial incentives. BIA had around 4,022,470 passengers in 2013, down - 6.7% on 2012.
Click here to view full story...
Fears in Heathrow area that a 3rd runway with associated infrastructure could add to local flood risk
The western end of Heathrow is within 3 miles of the River Thames. The western end of the airport is within 3 - 4 miles of Datchet, Old Windsor and Wraysbury, as well as Staines. These areas are currently experiencing unprecedented flooding, due to some of the wettest weather and more continuous storms and rainfall for several hundred years (which is consistent with predictions of climate change from rising global CO2 emissions). Heathrow airport itself covers a huge area in impermeable surfaces, and its storm drainage is on a vast scale. There were already fears from previous years of its impact on the drainage of the area. It has the River Colne running along its western edge, and the River Crane along its eastern edge. A report in 2003 for Hacan recommended that a full EIA should be carried out on the impact of a 3rd runway on the Heathrow flood plain; and that as expansion of Heathrow would have a significant impact on water levels in an area much wider than just the Heathrow flood plain a detailed analysis is carried out in the impact a 3rd runway would have on rivers across a wider area. In addition that no decision should be made on a 3rd runway until full analysis has been done and has been put out to wide public consultation.
Click here to view full story...
Even if only 10% of those newly overflown by a 3rd Heathrow runway are deeply disturbed by the noise, that is 15,000 more people
In a recent blog, John Stewart considers the issue that is key for Heathrow airport - noise - and how it can affect people differently. Some people are much more bothered and distressed by it than others. The airport is currently carrying out focus group research in an attempt to find more about these differences. Currently there are over 725,000 people under Heathrow flight paths; a 3rd north-west runway would add around another 150,000 = total 875,000. What is much less clear is how many of these people are, or will be, deeply disturbed by aircraft noise. Research from Germany indicates that about 10% of people are much more noise sensitive than others. It is know that people will be more annoyed by noise if they believe it is not good for them. Also if they feel they have no control over the noise or cannot stop it getting worse. Noise is less disturbing when people believe the authorities are doing everything they can to reduce the problem. Heathrow believes around 10% of those who would be newly over-flown by a new runway's flight paths would be deeply disturbed. The numbers are huge. 10% means an extra 15,000 people. Considering those under flight paths for all 3 runways, 10% means 87,000 people (out of the 875,000 overflown). Even 5% is 43,000 people seriously upset by the noise. That is a pretty terrifying statistic.
Click here to view full story...
Lowfield Heath remembered – the ‘ghost village’ destroyed to build Gatwick airport
Memories of a village that was demolished as Gatwick Airport grew have resurfaced as campaigners fight plans for a 2nd Gatwick runway. Lowfield Heath disappeared in the 1970s after the then Gatwick aerodrome expanded into an international airport from the 1950s onwards. Today the only buildings that remain of the village are its windmill and Grade II* listed church. The windmill was moved but the church still stands - surrounded by industrial estates. In the church is a plaque commemorates a reunion in 1989 of "those who formed the village community at the outbreak of the second world war in 1939 and whose homes and village were subsequently displaced by Gatwick international airport". The sad fate of Lowfield Heath is a "salutary reminder" of what can happen to a village next to an airport determined to expand. It was once a nice little community with a cricket club, a school and a WI. After the present Gatwick runway was built in 1958, people remained in Lowfield Heath because of a lack of compensation, but life became intolerable by the 1970s because of the noise of airport jets. But then in 1973 the area became an industrial development zone, so residents could sell their homes at "a large price" for warehousing and hangars. So they moved away.
Click here to view full story...
George Osborne kicks off Northern Hub investment with start of 4th platform at Manchester Airport station
George Osborne has launched the start of work to build a 4th platform at Manchester airport's railway station. This marks the start of the £600n Northern Hub project. The airport says the 4th platform project – costing £20m - will be delivered 18 months earlier than hoped, with works carried out in parallel to the expansion of Metrolink lines to the airport. It is due to be completed by the end of 2015. The aim is to lay more track to improve the region's heavily-congested rail network, on which other work is also ongoing. The local MP talked about how this rail platform will help us to "compete in the global race" !? The hope is that better rail in the north of England will "ensure growth is not concentrated in any one place by keeping Britain connected and creating thousands of local jobs, delivering a brighter economic future for the whole country.” The airport said the new rail scheme would be "key to boosting passenger numbers, luring businesses to its £800m Airport City scheme". The Beijing Construction Engineering Group is teaming-up with Manchester Airports Group, the Greater Manchester Pension Fund and UK construction firm Carillion to invest in the project, "which aims to create up to 16,000 jobs."
Click here to view full story...
Manchester Airport City to boost its marketing efforts to attract global companies
Manchester airports "Airport City" says it will be a "£800 million landmark property development, creating a globally connected business destination" and a "vibrant economic hub with connectivity at its heart, the UK’s first Airport City will provide 5m sq ft of development, a mix of offices, hotels, advanced manufacturing, logistics and warehousing. Airport City is expected to be one of the largest regeneration schemes in the UK since the 2012 Olympics redevelopment". It executives are now trying to create thousands of jobs by luring global firms to the area. They have now appointed two Manchester marketing agencies,Start JudgeGill and theEword to "focus on a strong and impactful international strategy to take Airport City to key territories" such as China and the Middle East. Airport City sits at the heart of Greater Manchester’s Enterprise Zone, which means companies relocating there can get tax breaks and other incentives. Last year, a deal was done to secure investment in the scheme from the Beijing Construction and Engineering Group. Meanwhile work is starting on a 4th platform at the airport's rail station, which the airport say is key to boosting passenger numbers, and luring businesses to its Airport City scheme.
Click here to view full story...
Heathrow’s plans to end 60-year-old gentlemen’s agreement over Cranford could be prevented by Hillingdon Council
Officers at Hillingdon Council are recommending refusal of Heathrow's planning application, which would enable regular take-offs over Cranford (a residential area just east of Heathrow's northern runway). There has been a 60-year old gentlemen's agreement that planes do not take off over Cranford, which would become an impossible place to live, if take-offs to the east were allowed. This was a verbal agreement made in 1952. Heathrow has applied to Hillingdon Council for permission to carry out the necessary taxi-way work to enable scheduled departures to the east from the northern runway. Hillingdon Councillors are due to make their decision at a Planning meeting on 11th February, but officers have recommended refusal on the grounds too little compensation has been offered to mitigate the impact of extra noise on residents and schools in Cranford and surrounding areas. The Cranford Agreement was repealed in 2009 by the Labour government to reduce the noise burden on those to the airport's west, in Windsor and Maidenhead, who consequently have to put up with more planes overhead.
Click here to view full story...