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Latest news stories:
BA & Virgin say Birmingham Airport will never be international hub
British Airways and Virgin Atlantic Airways have hit out at Birmingham’s call for government intervention to encourage airlines to make better use of airports in the north and Midlands. They say Birmingham can never be a national hub airport, and that regional airports such as Birmingham could not provide an alternative to expanding capacity in the South East. BA and Virgin say Heathrow and Gatwick are full because people want to fly from them. Birmingham isn’t because people don’t. Also that Government should not intervene to force airlines and passengers to use airports they “do not want to fly from”. They also claim foreign governments are only interested in Heathrow in talks about opening new air routes and capacity. Birmingham Airport has launched a campaign to convince ministers that it can provide an alternative to expanding Heathrow without the need for a new runway - and it can double passenger numbers from 9 million today to 18 million without new infrastructure, and by extending its existing runway it will be able to serve 27 million people. The industry is fighting fiercely among itself on the capacity issue - and is likely to continue to do so for the foreseeable future.
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New route from Heathrow …. not to China or emerging economies … to Palma
Vueling is launching a new route from Heathrow next March, to Palma. Palma has not been served from Heathrow since 2009. Vueling will fly daily from Heathrow Terminal 3, where it currently operates daily flights to La Coruna and Bilbao, using an A320. Vueling CEO, Alex Cruz, said: “We are delighted to be bolstering our London Heathrow services with this popular route to Palma Mallorca. This is going to be hugely welcomed by the strong expat community". (So nothing here about the allegedly urgent need for routes to the emerging economies, from an airport that is too full to add any more routes ?)
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Ferrovial in new deal to cut its stake in Heathrow Airport Holdings to 20%
Spain's Ferrovial has signed a new shareholders' pact in Heathrow Airport Holdings that opens the door for the infrastructure firm to cut its stake to 20%. The new agreement follows the purchase of stakes in Heathrow, formerly known as BAA, by Qatari and Chinese funds, as Ferrovial has sold 16% of its stake over the past year to reduce its holding to 34%. It owned 55.9% of BAA in January 2011. According to Espirito Santo Investment Bank, Ferrovial must keep a stake of at least 25% for now and at least 20% from 2019, when a £600 million credit line matures.
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“The Aviation Foundation” of aviation industry lobbyists launches UK-wide pro-flights campaign asserting massive benefits to UK from flying
An aviation group, (BA, Virgin and MAG) called the Aviation Foundation has set up and launched a campaign to highlight to MPs the alleged economic benefits of the UK aviation business. Its "Great British Flying Test " aims to "promote the importance of aviation to local economies" - which is barely surprising, seeing which companies are its backers. The study - as usual - ignores inconvenient facts, such as the tourism deficit (the net outflow of money, and indirectly jobs) from the UK due to the spending by Brits on holidays abroad. It also includes the number of jobs in aerospace, along with jobs in air travel, and it makes out that aviation has a uniquely important role in supporting other jobs. Any other sector could, likewise, inflate the alleged amount of economic impact it has. The Aviation Foundation produces statements such as that the aviation industry "directly employs 220,000 people" (120,000 in reality) and aviation supports workers in Bed & Breakfasts across the UK etc etc.
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Schiphol to get 3,000 fewer night flights per year – but that still leaves 29,000 per year
The number of night flights at Schiphol in the next 3 years will be reduced from 32,000 to 29,000. That still means around 80 flights per night - hugely more than other airports. There has been an agreement - the Alders Agreement - between the airport and the local communities under the airport 's flight path. It allows for some growth at the airport but only within strict environmental limits. In order to remain within these limits the number of night flights had to be cut, but the agreement is only for 3 years. Schiphol is saying that the 3,000 flights are not being switched to other airports, and it is a real reduction, not just a displacement. Up to 2020 the limit for the number of aircraft movements at Schiphol is 510,000 per year. There are also meant to be measures to use quieter planes to cut noise and compensate residents for noise.
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Update from Richmond Heathrow Campaign on the Operational Freedoms trial
The Operational Freedom Trials have caused a great deal of concern among residents under areas of London under Heathrow flight paths over the last few months. The Richmond Heathrow Campaign is helping its local residents to understand the issues, and send in complaints if necessary. They give details of who to complain, and where to. On 1st November, Heathrow Airport Limited announced that 2 further elements of the trials will not now take place. These are Operational Freedom 2 – Re-directing departing aircraft, which would have allowed aircraft to be redirected from their route sooner after take-off, increasing capacity when both runways were in use for take-offs. Also Operational Freedom 3 – landing inbound aircraft without holding, which would have decreased the number of flights arriving before 5:00 am, but increased the number arriving between 5:30 and 6:00 am as airlines determined it to be impractical. Around 16 landings per night are allowed, which normally arrive between 4:30 am and 6:00 am. The Richmond campaign's position is that flights between 11:00 pm and 6:00 am should end immediately.
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Stop Stansted Expansion calls for an end to night flights over an 8 hour period, not 6½ hours
On the eve of next Saturday’s European Day of Action Against Night Flights (November 24), Stop Stansted Expansion (SSE) has renewed its call for a total ban on night flights. Stansted is currently permitted by the Government to handle up to 12,000 night flights a year, between 11.30pm and 6.00am. This is more than double the number of night flights permitted at Heathrow (5,800) even though Heathrow is four times bigger than Stansted. Stansted’s rural location means the impact of aircraft noise on local residents trying to sleep is worse than at Heathrow because rural ambient noise levels at night are so much lower than in a city. Stansted has 24 hour BA cargo flights, using noisy ‘Super Jumbo’ Boeing 747-8 cargo aircraft are only based at Stansted because they are not allowed to be based at Heathrow. A report in 2011 showed the scale of the economic savings that would be made at Heathrow if night flights were stopped, due to the costs of sleep disturbance and stress caused by night flight noise - and the same logic applies to Stansted. Tired workers are less healthy and productive. "The impact of night flight noise has been consistently underestimated and it’s time for the Government to set down a firm timetable for ending the misery of night flights.”
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Cameron announces reform of judicial review to cut ‘time-wasting’ appeals on planning
David Cameron, speaking at the annual CBI conference, has said that there are too many judicial reviews that slow down planning applications. In reality, only a small number of the applications for judicial review are for planning, with the majority being for immigration and asylum. But Cameron makes the rather strange analogy that the UK is in a situation (?) akin to the second world war, and everything must be done to boost the economy. The Ministry of Justice did not have access to the number of reviews there have been related to building and planning. Downing Street refused to identify any infrastructure projects which had been delayed by judicial review, saying it was "not going into specific examples. FoE's Andy Atkins said the planning system played "an important role in protecting our green and pleasant land" and it must not become a scapegoat for the government's economic failings. Cameron has proposed changes to make it harder to apply for judicial review, altering the timing, cost and Halving the number of opportunities to challenge a refusal of permission for a judicial review from four to two.
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Gatwick campaign, GACC, says “in a civilised world there would be no night flights”
The Government is due to publish within the coming month a consultation on the future of night flights at Gatwick, Heathrow and Stansted. At their recent AGM, GACC members expressed support for people across Europe who are holding a ‘day of action’ against night flights on 24th November. At Gatwick there is a quota for the number of planes allowed to land at night, and a separate quota for the number of noise points. Under pressure from GACC the noise point quota has been steadily reduced over the past 20 years. There are about 50 flights each night in summer at Gatwick, more than at any other UK airport except East Midlands. But the night noise is lower than at Heathrow – because the aircraft are on average smaller. GACC will now be asking for both quotas to be reduced. The new aviation White Paper - which will be produced in spring 2013 - should recognise the desirability of reducing the number of night flights. GACC is opposed to a ‘respite period’ in the middle of the night if that meant more flights at the beginning and end of the night.
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Virgin Atlantic to start domestic flights between Heathrow and Edinburgh & Aberdeen as well as Manchester
Virgin Atlantic will be operating domestic flights from Scotland to Heathrow from spring 2013 after being offered all the remaining slots that BA was forced to relinquish after its takeover of bmi. The flights to Edinburgh and Aberdeen are in addition to flights to Manchester, starting in April 2013, that were announced in August. They will use an A320 that carries around 150 passengers. European competition authorities compelled BA to give up 14 slot pairs at Heathrow as a condition of approving its merger with bmi - that was opposed by Virgin. These domestic flights could be considered as boosting passenger numbers on transfer flights to destinations such as the USA out of Heathrow. However, Virgin has also said it will be using some of its new slots for point to point flights to Nice. [This appears to be evidence that scarce slots at Heathrow are not urgently needed for flights to the emerging or new economies for businessmen. The slots are instead used for whichever route is most profitable]. Virgin is also to trying to get a pair of slots for flights to Moscow, which the CAA recently granted to easyJet.
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Saturday 24th November: European Day of Action against Night Flights – Pyjama Photocall under the Heathrow Flight path
On 24th November Heathrow campaigners staged an event in Hounslow (Lampton Park) as part of the European Day of Action against Night Flights. People whose lives are badly affected by disturbed sleep from night flights got together to say "Ban Night Flights" - with a colourful display of banners, pillows, duvets, dressing gowns, slippers, nightwear, and hot water bottles. The UK Government is expected to consult next month on a new night flight regime for the three designated airports – Heathrow, Stansted and Gatwick. The current agreement with the airlines runs out in October 2014. Night flights are hated across Europe and demonstrators across Europe are also calling for the widely hated night flights to be banned. Events were staged in Belgium, Italy and across Germany. This day of action is expected to mark the start of a Europe-wide campaign to get them banned.
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As many as 30,000 demonstrators from across France in peaceful protest against Notre-Dame-des-Landes airport
On Saturday perhaps as many as almost 40,000 people (estimates range from 13,500 to 40,000) - and some 400 tractors - gathered to protest against the proposed airport Notre-Dame-des-Landes. Despite the strong mobilization, socialists politicians do not want to abandon the project - which was supported strongly by Jean-Marc Ayrault. - who used to be Mayor of Nantes and is now Prime Minister. This was the reoccupation demonstration, aiming to try and reoccupy some of the land evacuated forcefully by police last month on the site of the future airport. Behind a large banner: "Against the airport and its world the struggle takes off", the protesters gained a wooded area where they built a small house to shelter opponents, using a human chain and tractors to bring in the wood for construction. The prefecture has reiterated that these buildings were will not be allowed to remain, but the protesters intend to stay. They have set up a tent on land loaned by a local farmer as a new headquarters for the opposition and a first meeting to define "strategy" to follow in the coming days, is scheduled for Sunday.
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A personal blog on what’s behind the proposed new airport at Notre Dame des Landes.
This is a blog explaining many of the issues behind the development of a new airport at Nantes, by an Englishman living in France - working as a translator. He sets out some interesting facts relating to the values of land, the deal done with Vinci, the pressure to move the existing airport to a new site including spurious arguments about safety, the rising price of oil as forecast by no less a body than the IMF, and the misguided use of large amounts of public funds that could be better spent elsewhere. On the day when thousand of brave French people will attempt to win back some of the land in the "Zone at defendre" at Notre Dame des Landes, this background is interesting.
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EC stance on air pollution in London could affect ability of Heathrow to expand
Government plans to delay air pollution improvements in 12 areas of the UK areas were refused by the European Commission in June. The UK may now face fines if it fails to improve air quality quickly. The worst offender is London, where it is estimated that there over 4,000 ‘excess deaths’ per year from air pollution. This could have implications for Heathrow expansion. Air pollution is recognised by the government as the 2nd-biggest public health threat, after smoking. A judgement will be made at a later date on government plans to delay meeting NO2 standards in major cities until 2020 – or in the case of London, 2025. The EC decision addresses the shorter term, whereas a 3rd runway at Heathrow could not be operation for about 10 years. However, the tough stance by the EC suggests that any plan for Heathrow expansion, which increased air pollution and prevented limits being met, would face legal action.
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Airbus and EADS join Chinese venture to develop algae-based jet fuels, with demo flight planned for 2013
Airbus, EADS Innovation Works and Chinese bio-energy company ENN have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to work together in assessing the potential for developing alternative aviation fuels based on microalgae oils produced in China. The scope of the collaboration includes technical qualification of such fuels and to promote their use for aviation in China, which has one of the world’s fastest growing aviation markets. ENN says it is able to produce more than 10 tons of algae-based oil per year. They plan to have test flights in 2013 using oil supplied by ENN and afterwards look to scale up the alternative fuel production process to produce more. They will also be developing tools to assess the environmental, economic and societal impact of the technology. EADS claims that algae, fed on waste CO2 from power plants, can be grown on poor quality land using non-potable or salt water, so their cultivation does not compete with food production. And ENN says a hectare of microalgae could process 15,000 to 80,000 litres of oil. [But there are huge scalability problems].
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ICAO now says there are likely to be further delays in its attempt to work out a global carbon plan
One step forward, two steps back ... A top official at the UN's ICAO - Secretary General Raymond Benjamin - has said he welcomed the EU's suspension of its ETS in order to give ICAO time to thrash out a plan to reduce the aviation's carbon footprint globally. On Monday the EU put its ETS scheme on hold for a year as ICAO had said it would set up a committee to work through difficult political issues that are blocking its progress, such as how to deal fairly with developing nations. Benjamin now says he cannot rule out further delays in ICAO's work. Benjamin said in June that he believed the agency would narrow down the three "market-based measures" still being considered and put its weight behind a single option by March 2013. But now he cannot guarantee this would happen before next fall's ICAO general assembly in Montreal in November 2013. Announcing the one year delay in ETS, EU Climate Commissioner Connie Hedegaard said of ICAO: "If this exercise does not deliver - and I hope it does - then needless to say we are back to where we are today with the EU ETS - automatically." Possible schemes by ICAO are a cap and trade scheme, global carbon offsets, and offsetting with a revenue-generating mechanism.
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Health Protection Agency to take on some responsibility on noise & health from Dept of Health
The Health Protection Agency (HPA) announced in mid October that it will be taking on some aspects of noise and health responsibilities from the Department of Health, including transport noise. This will include looking at metrics and evidence of health impacts. There is a public comment period that will run until mid-January 2013 based on the workplan they have produced, to help formulate the HPA's remit in this area. The HPA says noise is a public health and economic problem for society; also that may have a role in promotion of a good acoustic environment if benefits to health can be proved; and that "With appropriate resources and lead times HPA could develop/ provide separate independent scientific advice on noise and health." The BMA produced a report in July 2012 entitled "Healthy Transport = Healthy Lives" that mentions the health impacts of aircraft noise.
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KLM to start twice daily flights from Manston to Amsterdam from April 2013
KLM has announced a new service from Manston to Amsterdam, twice a day. Manston says this will create 28 jobs in Kent. The attraction is that Amsterdam is a hub for some 130 other destinations. The airport did a survey in September to judge demand for a service to Amsterdam, and of the 9,300 responses some 80% said they would use a direct service to Amsterdam, with 60% then connecting with flights to other parts of Europe. Of those responding 96% said they would use Manston in preference to other airports - Gatwick is not far away. KLM is to run two morning flights from Manston, with one returning in mid-morning and the other in the evening. Infratil still cannot sell either Manston or Prestwick. Flybe pulled out of Manston in March saying flights from Kent were not economically viable. Manston has been valued at £7.6m. But Manston may cease to be an airport if it cannot be sold ....
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Heathrow gets another report from Frontier Economies – pushing dodgy figure of £14 billion loss in trade … if no massive UK hub
Heathrow has commissioned yet another report from Frontier Economics, making out that there is a huge loss - "up to £14 billion per year" - to the UK economy from not having a massive hub airport. Colin Matthew does admit that the headline figure,for purposes of publicity, of £14 billion "should be treated with caution". ie. it is a somewhat random figure, and quite how it is arrived at is not explained. In a Frontier Economics report in September 2011 they said there might be a £14 billion loss of trade over 10 years, not per year. The analysis seems to seriously confuse chicken and egg. Do more flights to certain destinations generate more trade - or are more flights needed once there is already trade with that destination? This seems to be a very one-sided report, putting a flimsy case for self-serving ends, and deliberately misleading on the realities on air travel. In reality 70% or so of flghts from Heathrow are for leisure purposes - not businesses. More long haul flights for leisure are what airport expansion would promote. These lucrative routes are what Heathrow wants more of. More flights are profitable for airlines and airports, without doubt. But the benefit to the UK economy as a whole is very much less certain.
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Despite EU concession, US Congress passes bill to halt US airline compliance with ETS
Less than 48 hours after the EU had announced it was suspending the inclusion of flights to and from Europe from the EU ETS, the US House approved a Senate version of a bipartisan bill that aims to prevent US aircraft operators from complying with the EU legislation. The bill authorises the Secretary of Transportation to prohibit compliance if deemed in the public interest. It now goes to the President for signature. An amendment by the Senate calls for pursuance through ICAO of a worldwide approach to address aircraft emissions. The final passing of the EU ETS prohibition bill by Congress has been welcomed by US airline and aviation representatives, although US NGOs said the bill was superfluous and counterproductive. There is strong feeling in the US that the EU does not have sovereignty in the US and has no right to levy taxes on it. A spokesman for Connie Hedegaard said it is now up to the US to show that they are serious about pushing for a global solution.
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BAA challenged on claim that it is lack of runway capacity at Heathrow that is limiting flights to China
HACAN has challenged BAA’s claim that it is lack of capacity at Heathrow that is limiting the number of flights between the UK and mainland China. In reality there is a bilateral agreement between the two countries which restricts passenger flights between the two countries to 62 a week - 31 each. HACAN has also produced evidence to show that the greater difficulty of getting a visa for the UK than for the EU is a major deterrent to Chinese people coming to Britain. BAA is claiming, disingenuously or dishonestly, that Frankfurt and Paris are leaving Heathrow behind as they forge ahead with extra flights to Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou - while conveniently omitting to mention that Heathrow has many more flights to Hong Kong, which is also an important part of China and a key hub airport. BAA is working hard to make out that huge numbers of transfer passengers are important for London's economy. In reality Heathrow has the largest number of terminating passengers of any airport in the world. Therefore it does not need the extra passengers an expanded hub would bring to make it commercially viable to operate lots of flights to key business destinations.
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Manchester Airport unveils plans to win back millions of passengers from London with new routes
Manchester Airport say they want to introduce direct services to major cities like Bangkok, Los Angeles and Beijing - which could mean millions of passengers a year not having to travel to London to fly. The airport’s chief commercial officer Ken O’Toole says 22 million people live within a 2-hour drive of Manchester Airport – the same catchment as Heathrow. But each year some 4 million of those travel to London airports, mainly because Manchester does not have direct services to some major cities. Manchester has opened new routes to cities such as Washington, Warsaw and Las Vegas this year. Mr O’Toole said 100,000 people within Manchester’s catchment area were flying to Hong Kong each year from London airports, as well as 60,000 to Beijing, 113,000 to Bangkok, 60,000 to Lahore, 50,000 to Delhi and 70,000 to Mumbai. Manchester Airport will next year launch a ‘Fly Manchester’ campaign, promoting their routes, especially to the Far East.
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Notre Dame des Landes. The ZAD. One person’s account of what is going on and why.
This is a long, personal account of what is going on at Notre Dame des Landes, by someone there with the anti-capitalists who are fighting the police and the authorities to defend the site. Vinci want to start work on the new airport and the roads for it by the end of November. The activists hope to take back some land on 17th November. The anti capitalists have moved in to fight with the local people and local farmers who have had their land expropriated for the airport work. This account is long, but makes a fascinating read, revealing the passion and determination of those fighting this development - which they see as hugely socially and environmentally harmful.
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Blog by Zac Goldsmith: “No ifs, no buts, we need a decision on Heathrow now”
In a blog in the Spectator, Zac writes that waiting 3 years for the Davies Commission to report, and then another 3 years for a lengthy planning process, it could be more like six years before work even begins. He says a delay of 6 years would cause paralysis for business, and also for residents. "The dithering isn’t simply bad for the economy. For voters beneath Heathrow’s flight-path, this ambiguity looks like a hidden green light for expansion." Zac believes that the government’s review will almost certainly rule out Heathrow expansion, as the economic arguments "will not justify subjecting 2 million residents to increased aerial bombardment." And Zac argues that "the arguments being used to bulldoze the government into a U-turn are grossly exaggerated." His solution is for Heathrow to operate much more efficiently, to get rid of the point-to-point flights to places such as Cyprus and Greece, and for a two-hub approach, with Heathrow catering (broadly speaking) for western-facing flights, and Stansted catering for eastern business flights.
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Airport protesters at Notre Dame des Landes, at Nantes, are preparing for a huge push to re-occupy land on 17th November
Around 2,000 hectares of mostly farmland at Notre Dame des Landes in rural western France are set to be the stage for what is likely to be a violent confrontation on Saturday 17th November, when anti-airport activists square up to riot police. Protesters, battling plans to build a new airport near Nantes have organised a mass "re-occupation" rally when they will attempt to reconquer part of the proposed site after scores of them began being unceremoniously evicted by police last month. Although their campaign dates back many years, it has taken an ugly turn in recent weeks, with riot police using tear gas to break up camps of protesters who responded in kind by throwing Molotov cocktails and setting up burning road blocks. By evicting people to silence the dissent, the government has succeeded in making the situation worse. Opponents of the airport do not believe the economic justifications being made for it, and are angry about the harm that will be done to the eco-systems of the local wetlands and the rise in pollution that a new airport would bring. There are also farmers who are furious after having had their land expropriated to make way for the airport and a proposed new road system. Much of the opposition’s anger is directed towards Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault, who as former mayor of Nantes was a key supporter of the project, and the company Vinci, who will operate the new airport.
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‘More air traffic through Heathrow would ruin quality of hundreds of thousands of lives’
The Standard reports that the all-party 2M group of London Councils, including Wandsworth, Richmond, Hounslow and 17 more, have warned the Airports Commission that allowing both runways to be used for arrivals and departures at same time (= mixed mode) would be 'devastating' to thousands of Londoners. Alternating runways at 3pm each day gives residents a break from aircraft noise and removing this would destroy the quality of life of hundreds of thousands. The 2M group represents 20 councils and 5 million people under the flight paths. It is warning that allowing more plane traffic through ending runway alternation and having mixed mode instead would be as damaging as building a 3rd runway, and have a devastating impact. On a typical day the first planes approach over South and West London from 4.30am. Intervals between aircraft are around 90 seconds.The 2M group want guarantees that alternating runways and limits on night flights will not be sacrificed so Heathrow can handle more flights. The Standard continues to push for a Heathrow 3rd runway.
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Airlines and lawmakers in the USA to push US Airline-Emissions Bill – inspite of ETS climb-down
A day before is set to clear a bill to shield US airlines from the ETS, the Europeans capitulated in announcing a one year delay to the ETS. If a solution can’t be reached through ICAO by November 2013, then the EC says “we are back to where we are today with the EU ETS. Automatically.” The Democratic-led Senate passed the measure in September. On 13th November the House of Representatives, which is led by Republicans, is scheduled to clear the bill, but many, especially in the airline industry, viewed it more as leverage to get the EU to pull back its mandate. The airline industry had been pressing the White House to do more than just negotiate at ICAO — it had wanted the US to open a formal dispute with the EU over the mandate, known as article 84. When asked if the airline industry will continue to press the government to initiate article 84 even after the EU announcement, Airlines for America (A4A) said “Since the EU has insisted on keeping the threat of reimposing an illegal tax on US passengers and carriers, A4A will continue to urge that the US remain vigilant to ensure that all efforts are focused on finding a global solution through ICAO.”
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On ETS deferment news, green NGOs say “No more excuse towards a global measure to cut aviation’s emissions”
The formal proposal, which will likely be released in a few weeks, will allow airlines to surrender CO2 allowances by April 2014 and not by April 2013, as originally foreseen. With the new announcement by the EC today, in delaying implementation of the ETS, a press release from Transport & Environment in Brussels (speaking for green NGOs involved in aviation, such as the Aviation Environment Federation, and WWF UK) says it is vital that the one-year deferral does not end up as a definitive one. This is definitely a deferral rather than a suspension - the aviation industry will lobby very hard on this, trying to get it made permanent. The green NGOs think today’s concession is bigger than necessary, because it is more than commensurate with the limited progress made in last Friday’s ICAO Council meeting towards a global market-based mechanism (MBM) to address greenhouse gas emissions from international aviation. The environmental groups say no excuse is left for ICAO not to come up with a concrete and global measure at its triennial assembly in September-October 2013.
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EC freezes ETS for airlines flying to and from Europe till November 2013 progress by ICAO
The EU has announced that it will delay the date by which airlines have to pay for their emissions on flights to and from Europe. This is very disappointing news. However, they will only delay until there is progress by ICAO on producing a global deal on aviation emissions. If there is not adequate progress by ICAO when it meets in November 2013, the EU ETS will continue to include international aviation, as it does now. Flights within Europe remain in the ETS as before - whether by EU airlines or non-EU airlines - the change is only for flights to and from the EU. Connie Hedegaard, announcing the change, said EU member states will still have to formally endorse the Commission's exemption for non-EU carriers. The change has occurred because of intense pressure from countries such as the USA, India and China - and lobbying from Airbus on fears the ETS is causing it to lose plane sales. China and India have far more to lose than us if they start a trade war, because they export far more to us than we export there. Nonetheless, the EU and UK have meekly conceded to blackmail from China instead of doing the right thing. We understand that David Cameron was lobbying the EU to defer ETS. It demonstrates, yet again, the UK and EU leaders prefer to sacrifice action on climate change in favour of narrow business interests. The EC has repeatedly said it only included aviation in the ETS after more than a decade of inaction at the ICAO. Unfortunately the concessions made by the EC are much larger than required, and there is no expectation that ICAO will come up with anything worthwhile in the next year - but on the positive side, the EC can no longer be accused of not doing anything in response to voluble continuing criticism over its approach to aviation and climate change.
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European Commission puts aviation carbon scheme on hold
European Commission plans to force airlines to buy carbon permits have been put on hold, heading off the threat of a global aviation trade war. Commissioner Hedegaard said: "To create a positive atmosphere, we have agreed to stop the clock”. She also set ICAO 12 month to come up with its own scheme, warning the EU would resurrect its own plans if it failed to do so. A spokesman for WWF UK added: “The Commission’s move on aviation in the ETS buys some time for ICAO, who were arguably galvanised into action by the EU in the first place after years of foot-dragging on this issue. Now it’s up to other countries which have been opposing action on tackling the climate impacts of aviation, especially the United States, to show that they are serious about pushing for a global solution. This is a great chance for ICAO members to show leadership and push for a global agreement on this issue.”
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Heathrow to demand £18bn compensation if a new hub is built
"This is Money" reports that Heathrow would demand compensation of between £11 billion and £18 billion if it was forced to close because a new hub airport was built elsewhere.They say executive sources said it would seek to recoup the net asset value of Heathrow, plus a premium for compulsory closure. Heathrow is 40% owned by the Chinese, Qatari and Singaporean governments and 34% by Ferrovial. BA would also expect compensation for the investment it has put into the airport, it is believed. Willie Walsh has said BA would move to an alternative site only if Heathrow were closed. The prospect of huge compensation bills on top of the £80 billion needed to build a new four-runway hub airport in the Thames estuary would make the cost prohibitive. BA and other airlines have insisted that they would stay at Heathrow if they had a choice. They also say linking Heathrow to either Gatwick or Stansted would not work. And love the 4 runway idea.
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Heathrow arguing, as ever, about need for single hub airport, due to benefits of transfer passengers
The Sunday Telegraph [no analysis, poor journalism, just regurgitation of Heathrow's claims] reports that Heathrow's first tranche of evidence to be put before the Airports Commission will say that only a single hub airport allows for a sufficient number of vital transfer passengers. This, of course, is what one would expect them to say, from self interest. The Telegraph says that at present 1 million long-haul business and 1st-class passengers travel through Heathrow every year, which is nearly 85% of all such traffic that leaves the UK. Heathrow relies on transfer passengers from other international destinations to support the number of flights that leave Britain to vital business centres in China and the USA. Heathrow says if there were two hubs (as happens in New York), such as Heathrow and Gatwick, or Heathrow and Stansted, the transfer traffic that makes these flights profitable would be lost. And "The number of destinations served will therefore be cut, at a cost to British businesses." The first stage is for the Airports Commission, under Sir Howard Davies, to decide whether a single hub is necessary - or whether there is enough capacity already and traffic needs to be more efficiently spread between airports.
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Two new short briefings from AEF on airport capacity and connectivity – busting some myths
The Aviation Environment Federation (AEF) has recently written two concise briefings, on airport capacity and connectivity. These are timely, since the announcement of the Airports Commission, chaired by Sir Howard Davies. Even since the announcement the flurry of media stories and aviation industry spin and PR on the issue have continued, effectively giving the very strong and persuasive impression that the UK is badly in need of more airport capacity, and in dire danger of not having sufficiently good connectivity. The AEF says in fact, there is no evidence of a crisis in capacity and no urgent need for new runways. Only about 23% of air travel is for business. The great majority of the growth in demand is for leisure. The Government forecasts show that passenger demand could be almost entirely met with existing infrastructure until 2030. There may well be a benefit for certain airlines or airport operators if passengers change plane at a particular (South East England) airport, but there are no great benefits of larger or expanded hub airports or hub capacity for UK passengers.
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Price of Prestwick and Manston slashed to just over one fifth the price Infratil paid for them in 2003 and 2005
The value of Prestwick Airport has fallen to under a quarter of its level 2 years ago as owner Infratil struggles to find a buyer. The New Zealand-based company yesterday put the value of Prestwick and Manston Airport in Kent at £10.5 million. They had been valued at £32m earlier this year. Infratil bought it for £33.4m in 2003. A valuation carried out at the end of the financial year in March 2011 said the airports were worth £44m. Both airports were put on the market in January when Infratil said they were under-performing. It had been hoped a sale would be completed by early next year but no buyer is forthcoming. Passenger numbers at Prestwick have dropped to just under 1.1 million a year – less than half the level of 3 years ago – as Ryanair, which provides the bulk of passenger flights, has relocated many services to Edinburgh. The lack of investment has left Prestwick looking tired and off-putting to potential buyers.
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Vinci appointed to £184m Gatwick revamp of South Terminal Pier 1
Gatwick has announced a £183.9 million project to redevelop its South Terminal Pier 1. The work would be done by Vinci, the company trying to build the fiercely opposed airport at Nantes. The existing pier, which opened in 1958, will be demolished in the new year, with a two-storey replacement set to open in summer 2015. The project follows a series of upgrades at Gatwick, including the extension of the airport’s North Terminal, and a revamped security area at the South Terminal. Gatwick also recently announced plans to “develop options for a second runway”, although a legal agreement prevents any such facility from being built until after 2019
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NGOs (and EU) cautiously welcome ICAO’s decision to speed up work on a global measure to reduce aviation emissions
The Council meeting of ICAO has agreed on some important issues relating to so-called ‘market based measures’ (MBMs) to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from international aviation. These recognise that global MBMs are technically feasible, while in the past there have been objections. In the past there has been insufficient political will, but now the decisions have moved to a political level. Tim Johnson, Director of Aviation Environment Federation (AEF) said: “ICAO has shown that with coordinated effort the technical issues can be resolved. Similar and rapid effort is now required to resolve the political questions in a spirit of fairness and equity while remembering that addressing aviation’s climate change impacts is a necessity. Everyone says a global approach is the way to go – now it’s time to match these words with deeds." ICAO will now set up a High Level Group which will make proposals on an MBM as well as a so-called ‘framework’ for MBMs on how countries would implement them. These proposals will be put to the triennial Assembly in September 2013.
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Schiphol claims to operate Heathrow’s 3rd runway and provide the UK with global links
Schiphol airport has launching an aggressive advertising campaign, making out that it is offering more than 100 daily flights to the UK, enabling Britons to connect to 275 destinations across the world. Schiphol now serves 23 UK airports in Britain, compared with 12 offered by Gatwick and only 7 by Heathrow. Schiphol has 5 runways – compared with Heathrow's 2 [of course, they cannot all be used at the same time - probably in practice only two are used at once]. Schiphol hopes to have more passengers etc than Heathrow within a decade (don't they all?). The Telegraph is promoting this story, to help pile on pressure for new runways in the south east, and also as part of its continuing campaign against APD - wanting flying to be even more under-taxed than at present. The Telegraph, and Schiphol, are promoting the fear that Heathrow might be overtaken some time, with threats that ...."the Government is outsourcing Britain's airports and jobs to our European competitors."
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Iberia to cut 4,500 jobs (around 22%) under IAG restructuring plan
IAG has announced 4,500 job cuts (out of a total staff of around 20,000) at Iberia as part of a widely anticipated restructuring, to stem its cash losses. Iberia is cutting its 156-strong fleet by 25 aircraft, and reducing 15% of its network capacity, focusing on the most profitable routes.It hopes to stem its cash loss by mid-2013. IAG also revealed a 30% drop in pre-tax quarterly profits to €221m - due to losses at Iberia and also at recently purchased BMI. IAG now expects to make an overall operating loss of €120m this year - excluding any costs associated with the Iberia restructuring - with further losses likely in the remaining 3 months due to the impact of storm Sandy. Iberia has been suffering record losses, and IAG warned 3 months ago that job cuts were likely to come, and it is "unprofitable in all its markets." "Unless we take radical action to introduce permanent structural change, the future for the airline is bleak." The 4,500 job losses are not as high as the 7,000 figure that reportedly had been expected by Iberia's unions. IAG also plans to buy Spanish budget airline, Vueling,
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London City Airport expansion plans take off in cloud of criticism
A £15 million expansion programme announced by London City Airport to mark its 25th anniversary has been criticised by campaigners over the increasing number of flights—double the restrictions imposed when it first opened. London City Airport is to submit a planning application shortly for more infrastructure to allow for expansion and for medium haul flights. But the expansion year-on-year goes against the original planning when the airport was opened on November 5, 1987. Only 4 airlines operated from the airport in 1987, with flights to just 3 destinations—Plymouth, Paris and Brussels. Today, 25 years on, 10 airlines fly to 42 destinations across the UK and Europe, as well as twice-a-day to New York. Hacan East, which represents families living under the flight paths across east London, has accused airport bosses of broken promises. The government inspector at the original airport public inquiry in the 1980s restricted aircraft to quiet turbo-props rather than the jets that proliferate today, and flights limited to 30,000 a year.
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Responses from a range of organisations to the DfT’s Draft Aviation Policy Framework
The DfT recently consulted on the future aviation policy for the UK. This is he Aviation Policy Framework. The DfT said, of the consultation: "The Government’s primary objective is to achieve long-term economic growth, and the DfT is unambiguous in its view that the aviation sector is a major contributor to the economy. The Draft Aviation Policy framework document sets out the Government's overall objectives for aviation and the policies by which it hopes to achieve those objectives. The DfT supports the growth of UK aviation, though it conceded this should be within a "framework which maintains a balance between the benefits of aviation and its costs, particularly climate change and noise." AirportWatch has gathered together a number of consultation responses from a range of organisations, AirportWatch members and others.
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Sports Tourism – a growing phenomenon. VisitBritain hopes for more high-spending sports fans
Sports Tourism seems to be a new angle of how to get people to spend more on their money on travel. There is sports tourism by those actively taking part in sports, like skiing, cycling etc. And there are spectator trips, with people attracted to large events like the Olympics, FIFA World Cup, F1 Grand Prix. Globally in 2003 the amount spent on sports tourism was about $51bn, equivalent 10% of the total international tourism market. VisitBritain says in 2011 some 900,000 football tourists visited Britain - (which included 61,000 from the USA). They £706 million in total - an average of around £785 per visitor - during their trip, which is around £200 more than average UK visitors who do not come here for sport. In August the Culture Secretary, Jeremy Hunt, said a priority is exploiting the role of sport as a magnet for tourists ...." The VisitBritain figures do not mention the numbers of Brits who fly abroad for sporting events elsewhere, taking their money abroad.
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ICAO Council meeting on 9th November is perhaps the last chance to get meaningful global action on aviation CO2
The ICAO meeting on 9th November is their last chance to see meaningful action on controlling CO2 emissions from international aviation this decade. ICAO has been under particular pressure to act ever since its 2004 decision not to develop a global measure to curb aviation greenhouse gases opened the way for the EU to move regionally by including aviation in its ETS. Opponents of the ETS say a global solution through ICAO is needed, but the USA and others have repeatedly blocked all possible options. A year ago the ICAO Secretary General pushed publicly for ICAO to agree a proposal for global action by March 2013. That deadline won’t be met but there is still a chance over the next 3 months that ICAO’s Council can finalise a proposal in March 2013 to be approved at its triennial meeting in September 2013. However, to achieve this, ICAO’s Council needs to agree this week on a much accelerated work plan and resolve the many pending political questions which prevent substantive progress. President Obama’s re-election presents the US with a real opportunity to lead.
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Could there be an airport at the end of Southend Pier?
An enterprising “architect” has proposed solving the country’s aviation crisis by building a new four-runway airport - at the end of Southend Pier. The tongue-in-cheek idea, which has been posted online, envisages “London-Southend Pier International” catering for 150 million passengers a year. Its inventor, Make It Architects, said:they believe it to be the world’s first pier-based international airport. “We believe this revolutionary solution to the UK’s aviation capacity issue could become a blueprint for airport expansion across the country, and are already drawing up a proposal for Blackpool, or Blackpool-London North International Airport as it will be renamed.” Make It Architects proposes extending the pier’s single-line train service - which has a maximum speed of a few miles an hour - to connect it with the new hub. They claim a new, high-speed monorail could also be built to whisk passengers to St Pancras in fewer than 20 minutes - while Adventure Island would become the world’s first theme park departure lounge.
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Tim Yeo, Chairman of the Energy and Climate Change Committee, warns Treasury and DfT on excluding aviation from Climate Change Act
The Energy and Climate Change select committee is recommending inclusion of aviation (and shipping) emissions in the UK Climate Change Act which the Government has to decide on by end of December. The Chairman, Tim Yeo, has sent letters to the key departments who will be making the decision, two of which (Treasury and DfT) are opposing inclusion. Tim Yeo has written to Sajid Javid at the Treasury, Patrick McLoughlin at the DfT and to Greg Barker at DECC. He sets out clearly that the advice of the Committee on Climate Change is very clear on this issue: if the UK is to make our fair share of effort towards a global 2°C climate objective, annual UK greenhouse gas emissions - including international aviation and shipping emissions - need to fall to around 160 MtC02e by 2050. If international aviation and shipping are excluded from the accounts, an 80% cut would allow other sectors to emit 160 MtC02e, with aviation and shipping emissions occurring in addition to this. This would lead to total emissions of around 200 MtC02e, which is not consistent with meeting a global 2°C climate objective.'
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Industry poll shows some tourism executives want a Heathrow 3rd runway. Non story! Not news!
A poll carried out for "World Travel Market" apparently shows that 34% of tourism chiefs - not only those from the UK - believe expanding Heathrow is the best way of solving the UK's airport capacity problems. (Not much of a surprise, as the industry has lobbied relentless for that for years). They say "Of the 1,300 bosses surveyed, 20% backed the Thames Estuary airport plan". World Travel Market director Simon Press said: "It is clear that senior travel executives from around the globe are in favour of expanding the UK's primary airport with a third runway at Heathrow. Expanding other airports in south-east England is more popular than building a new airport which suggests that our overseas colleagues think the UK Government should steer clear from an ambitious if expensive solution when there are better options available." At the end of last week, Boris criticised the government for setting the date of the Airports Commission final report to be about 2 months after the 2015 election, and David Cameron then said Boris was wrong to dismiss a third runway at Heathrow and he will not be given a veto on the issue.
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PWC report says “Business as usual is not an option” as current rates of CO2 reduction point to 6C of global warming
PwC - not an organisation normally thought to be a key advocate of limiting carbon emissions - has published its annual Low Carbon Economy Index report, which examined the progress of developed and emerging economies towards reducing their "carbon intensity", or their emissions per unit of gross domestic product. It says that current rates of reduction of carbon intensity in major economies shows we're heading for at least 6C degrees of warming rather than 2C by 2100. Even doubling our current annual rates of decarbonisation globally every year to 2050, would still lead to a 6C temperature rise. Global carbon intensity now needs to fall by an average of 5.1% a year for the next 39 years up to 2050 – a performance never achieved before. By contrast, only a 0.7% reduction in carbon intensity was achieved globally in 2011. and global carbon emissions went up over 3% in 2011 - which was a record high, according to the IEA. The PWC report warns that “governments and businesses can no longer assume that a 2C warming world is the default scenario.” With less than 4 weeks to the UN Climate Summit in Doha, the analysis illustrates the scale of the challenge facing negotiations.
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Protest wildlife walk against the proposed World Logistics Hub at Manchester airport
On Saturday 3rd November around 100 local residents and campaigners took part in a protest walk against the proposed £100m World Logistics Hub at Manchester Airport. The protesters braved the cold to take a route around the 90 acre former greenbelt site, which is threatened by the plans to build 43 cargo sheds and almost 1,500 car parking spaces. Local residents, wildlife enthusiasts and environmental campaigners spoke at various points along the walk, sharing their experiences of fighting Manchester Airport expansion and highlighting the numerous ways that the plans would affect local people and the environment. The Wildlife Walk came the week after the Wythenshawe Area Committee ‘recommended for approval’ the World Logistics Hub plans, on the 25th October. The application will now be sent to the Planning and Highways Committee at Manchester City Council for a final decision on 22nd November 2012. Campaigners argue that job creation figures proposed by the airport are inflated.
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Comments on the launch of the Airports Commission by SSE, FoE, and WWF
Comments on the news of the membership and terms of reference of the Airports Commission from Stop Stansted Expansion, from Friends of the Earth UK and WWF UK.
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Sir Howard Davies suggests payouts might be given to people under flightpaths
The Standard reports that Sir Howard Davies suggested, at the launch of the Airports Commission, that cash compensation could be paid to west London residents if a 3rd Heathrow runway is built. He would look at whether financial payments should be given to people under the flightpaths if Heathrow, Gatwick or Stansted expansion took place. He said: “There are examples in other countries of different kinds of compensation arrangements which have been used, and that is certainly something we are going to look at.” and “I am conscious that allowing a lot of options to run does create the risk of planning blight ... and I don’t want to alarm people who have no need to be alarmed.” He also said the 2013 interim report by the Commission will be much more significant than previously expected and narrow down the rival options to a shortlist of “realistic” schemes, ending the anxiety of people living near more marginal sites. The 2013 interim report will also make recommendations on immediate ways to boost capacity in the south east, possibly including mixed-mode operation at Heathrow or night flights.
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Boris accuses government of “utter inertia” in not having the airports decision before 2015
Boris is accusing the Government of "utter inertia" on airport expansion policy . He says waiting till 2015 for the Commission's report would be "toxic and disastrous" for the next election. The Government is facing growing pressure for major infrastructure projects to help shore up the floundering economy. With no particular evidence to back their claims, some business leaders say more airport capacity is crucial to boosting trade and routes to developing markets. Boris argues that as China is building lots of new airports, we should build one too. (No particular logic in that, as the case of China is utterly different to ours.) Boris says the Airports Commission needs to report more quickly, well before summer 2015. Sir Howard Davies has said his Commission is not to kick the tricky question "into the long grass" for political reasons, and that its report will be "a really expert piece of work" and "In order to build enough political consensus around the eventual solution, we will need to show that we have done in-depth analysis of the other options. At the moment, consensus is what is lacking."
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Manston airport asked to do local survey on possible demand for KLM flights to Amsterdam
Manston airport struggles on, with very few passengers - below 500 to 1000 per month recently. It now has hopes that KLM Royal Dutch Airlines might start a twice daily flight from Manston to Amsterdam. KLM is to announce a "strategic move in the UK market that will have a significant and positive impact on regional businesses and leisure users" in Canterbury on Tuesday, November 13. In September, KLM asked Manston to conduct an online survey of local residents to find out what the level of demand is for the service. It would take just 40 minutes to fly to Amsterdam and, from there, passengers would be able to fly to more than 90 direct destinations worldwide. Manston chief executive Charles Buchanan seems to have forgotten that Gatwick airport is not far away. The airport has the capacity to handle some one million passengers a year and its master plan estimates passenger numbers could rise to 5m by 2033. But it is just not in the right place, and nothing can change that. No buyer can be found.
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Gulfstream private jets flown on 50% biojet fuel made from Camelina grown in US
Gulfstream have flown 5 private jets from Savannah, Georgia to Orlando, Florida, using 50% biofuel - called Honeywell Green Jet Fuel - made from camelina supplied by Honeywell’s UOP. The fuel was a 50/50 blend with conventional kerosene. Honeywell says that camelina is an inedible plant grown in the US northwest where it is rotated with wheat and other cereal crops. Based on life-cycle analysis studies, Honeywell claims its camelina-based fuel "burn 68 % fewer CO2 emissions than petroleum-based jet fuel." quote. They also claim that "Depending on the feedstock, the fuel can offer between a 65 and 85% reduction in GHG emissions." Honeywell’s UOP Renewable Jet Fuel process technology was originally developed in 2007 under a contract from the US military to produce renewable military-grade jet fuel for the US military. Camelina does not appear to be free of problems, however. There may be reduced yield of wheat when grown in rotation with camelina. There is likely to be a need to fertilise the crop, to get an economic yield. It will not grow without enough water, so unless there is enough rain, it could need some irrigation. And so on.
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Medway Council submits evidence against a Thames Estuary airport
Medway council have said an airport in the Thames Estuary is unnecessary, too costly, in the wrong location and damaging to the environment. They have submitted their evidence to the Government’s transport select committee which set up its own examination into aviation in September. Chair of the transport committee Louise Ellman MP said the strategy for aviation should not be delayed , invited the public and interested groups to submit their views to the transport committee and said this feedback would help influence the Government during the policy development process. Medway Council, supported by Swale Borough Council, have submitted a report - by Robin Cooper - expressing its opposition to a Thames Estuary airport with evidence supporting its views. They say it is not sensible, because it will not be built in a sensible timeframe, it will have a disastrous environmental impact, it would require significant taxpayer subsidy and it will not attract airlines.
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Cautious welcome from HACAN for Airports Commission
John Stewart, Chair of HACAN and of AirportWatch, attended the launch meeting today of the Aviation Commission, chaired by Sir Howard Davies. Sir Howard said the interim report (to be produced some time before the end of 2013 - date not known) will suggest short-term measures to assist capacity as well as outline the more “plausible options” to be taken forward in the longer term. The final paper (to be published by "summer 2015" which means after the election in May) will work up these options in some considerable detail. He stressed, though, that the final decision will be down to the government of the day. In January 2013 the Commission will publish a paper assessing future demand for aviation. That will be followed during 2013 by further papers including ones on climate change and the economic benefits of aviation. These will be put onto the Commission's website, and be open for public comment. The Commission is not just to select airports where expansion should take place.
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Legalized slot trading comes a step closer in Europe
EU transport ministers have agreed a general approach on proposed changes to the 1993 slot allocation rules that could make it legal for airlines to buy and sell slots. Proposals for freeing up the slot allocation market have been under discussion since the 1993 regulation was implemented. However, EU legislators have remained wary of throwing the doors open to either primary or secondary trading. Primary trading is defined and regulated by an authority; secondary trading involves a direct exchange between airlines. The EU has traditionally insisted that secondary transfers should not involve monetary compensation, but has consistently turned a blind eye to such activities. In the UK, secondary trading is entrenched at Heathrow, one of the region’s most capacity constrained airports, and has created a thriving gray market.
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Airports Commission under Sir Howard Davies. Membership and terms of reference announced.
The government has today announced the full membership and terms of reference of the Airports Commission, to be chaired by Sir Howard Davies, and to "identify and recommend to Government options for maintaining the UK’s status as a global aviation hub." The government says it has identified individuals with a range of skills, backgrounds and experience to sit on the committee. The Commission also intends to appoint a panel of expert advisors. Members are: Sir John Armitt, former Chairman of the Olympic Delivery Authority; Professor Ricky Burdett (LSE); Vivienne Cox (was at BP Alternative Energy); Professor Dame Julia King (a member of the CCC); Geoff Muirhead CBE (former CEO of Manchester Airports Group). The terms of reference are that it will "The Commission will examine the scale and timing of any requirement for additional capacity to maintain the UK’s position as Europe’s most important aviation hub; and it will identify and evaluate how any need for additional capacity should be met in the short, medium and long term." And it should "should engage openly with interested parties and members of the public," etc
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DECC estimates of future oil prices. Low, central and high – out to 2030
The price of oil has varied a great deal during the past year. The price of jet fuel went up at the start of 2012 and has now come back to approximately where it was a year ago. There is speculation that the price of oil may go up, and also speculation that due to the global dip in demand, anticipated over several years, that its price may go down for five years or so. The new oil in the USA from tar sands is described as a "game changer" and in addition, efforts to cut energy consumption may be having some small effect. DECC, the Dept of Energy and Climate Change, produce each October a range of forecasts for the prices of fossil fuels up to 2030, with high, central and low estimates. The figures for each band in the 2012 estimates are a little higher than those produced in 2011. For 2020 their estimates are $93, 123 or 150 per barrel of oil, for low, central and high. And for 2030 their estimates are $80, 135, and 190.
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Scottish airports and York Aviation lobbying, yet again, for a cut in APD
Scottish airports are, yet again, hoping to get a drop in Air Passenger Duty, to try and keep flights under-taxed. Edinburgh, Glasgow and Aberdeen airports are calling on the UK government to abolish APD or at least frozen and then reduced. A new report by York Aviation (they produced one in February 2011 for BAA Scotland) says Scotland will lose 2 million passengers and £210 million a year in lost tourist spending because of APD. Strangely, this figure is massively higher than it was only a year and three quarters ago. In February 2011 York Aviation only said that " ...over the next three years, Scottish airports will lose around 1.2 million passengers, with the largest numeric losses on domestic services." So a very sharp increase. Dodgy assumptions and calculations? York Aviation and the airports, as they always do, only consider tourist income of visitors coming to Scotland, and completely ignore the money lost by Scots flying out to spend their holiday money abroad.
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Heathrow Operational Freedoms trials, the A380 and impact of its vortex on smaller planes following it
The A380, being such a massive plane, and classed as a "Super" by weight - above the next category of "Heavy" creates a greater vortex behind it. Therefore there have to be significant separation distances between A380s and planes following them, especially smaller planes. In the Heathrow Operational Freedoms trials, one of the changes they are looking at involves landing Airbus A380 on the designated departures runway (this means that those living under the approach flight paths are having planes overhead during the part of the day that should be their "quiet" time). The A380 is the biggest aircraft that operates at the airport. Due to the vortex it produces, aircraft behind it have to allow a greater distance when coming into land. The knock-on effect is that the arrivals programme can be delayed allowing for the A380 to come in before smaller aircraft can then make their approach to land. The airport is testing what difference it would make to the arrival schedule by allowing the aircraft to land on the departure runway. Heathrow hopes to use more larger planes, to deal with ever more passengers. This A380 effect could be a problem.
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Plans to transform Cardiff from declining regional airport to international hub revealed
Backers of what is being called the Western Gateway Project, have submitted details about it to the DfT as part of its consultation on aviation policy (closed 31st October). The plan is to transform Cardiff from an under-performing regional airport into an international hub. In a first-stage vision for the Spanish-owned airport a group of transport experts and entrepreneurs believe a relatively modest investment of £250m could elevate the airport into a “western gateway” facility – potentially providing hub and point-to-point flights to global destinations such as North and Latin America – while also helping to address the issue of where to provide additional hub airport capacity in the UK. The group plans to make a fuller submission to the Airports Commission next year. As well as founder and entrepreneur Rudi Plaut the group’s other members include enterprise academic Professor Brian Morgan and transport experts Martin Evans and Stuart Cole. They will now look to work with the Welsh Government to develop a more in-depth business case for a hub airport.
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Heseltine wants Davies Commission to report early so the UK can get on with building airport/runways
Michael Heseltine, the old Tory grandee who has been retired for some years, was asked by George Osborne in March 2012 to head an audit of the UK's industrial performance. He has now produced his report, called "No Stone Unturned, in the pursuit of GROWTH". It has a short section on aviation, in which he says that the Davies Commission review of airports should report before 2015 so work can begin on a third runway at Heathrow, or an alternative option, after the next election. His report says "the Government should publish all the options and all the arguments for airport expansion." [So no mention of balance, or considering the arguments against]. And it says that while waiting for the Davies Commission to report "In the meantime preparatory work could commence, with a commitment that no construction contracts would be let until a mandate had been secured at the next general election. [So this presumes that a runway or an airport will definitely be the suggestion of the Davies Commission, pre-empting its findings. Or even details of how it will work and its terms of reference, yet to be announcement - let alone its deliberations].
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Violent clashes between opponents and gendarmes in the battle against Notre-Dame-des-Landes airport
On 30th October there were more violent scenes as hundreds of French police battled against protesters at Notre-Dame-des-Landes as the authorities tried to evict people from areas that are intended as part of the new Nantes airport. A large area of good agricultural land is to be taken over, to build the second airport for Nantes. This means the eviction of a number of farmers from their land. There has been fierce opposition to the plans for months. Earlier in the year there was a hunger strike by some of the farmers, and their supporters, for a month. Hundreds of local people, as well as socialists and anti-globalisation protesters have fought hard to prevent this airport being built. They say it is not needed, there is not a good economic case for it, and at a time when France should be cutting its CO2 emissions, this new airport will only serve to increase carbon.
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Canada claims world’s first 100% biofuel-powered civil jet flight
The National Research Council of Canada (NRC) has flown the first civil jet powered by 100% unblended biofuel. The plane used was a Falcon 20, which is private jet that can carry 8 - 14 people, and it flew over Ottawa. The distance it flew is not stated. A 2nd aircraft, tailed the Falcon in flight and collected information on the emissions generated by the biofuel, which will be analysed. The drop-in fuel was produced using AgrisomaResonance Energy Feedstock, a dedicated industrial oilseed that was launched at commercial scale in 2012 across a broad region of western Canada. Resonance Energy Feedstock produces this industrial oil - produced from genetically modified Brassica carinata - which they say is a non-food oil. They don't actually say its growing does not compete with producing food. To date, flights on biofuels have been restricted to a 50% blend with petroleum.
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AirportWatch says Government’s new aviation policy neglects regions in favour of SE
Residents living close to regional airports are likely to remain exposed to increases in noise, pollution and traffic despite a Government shake-up of its aviation policy, according to AirportWatch, the network of airport community campaigners from across the country. AirportWatch is calling on on the Government for leadership on a truly national aviation policy, not one that just focuses on the needs of London and the South East. The call comes on the day before the Government consultation on its future aviation policy closes. There are serious concerns that proposals in the consultation neglect the regions and are likely to lead to “a two tier system” unless government is prepared to give some direction to all airports. The majority of the noise and air pollution proposals in the consultation document are confined to Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted with the Government suggesting that at the UK’s other non-designated airports they are dealt with through voluntary local agreements.
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Heathrow rejects both “Heathwick” and any idea of a dual hub with Stansted
On 21st October, Philip Hammond (now Defence Secretary, but who was Transport Secretary) said a Thames estuary airport would be very expensive and require closing Heathrow, which he believes would “destroy” the economies of West London, the Thames Valley, and the Surrey-Sussex corridor and be a complete disaster. He also said “I have long thought the answer is one hub across two sites, with a fast shuttle service between Heathrow and Gatwick.” Now José Leo, BAA's [now renamed Heathrow Ltd] company’s chief financial officer says "Heathwick" would mean Heathrow would lose a “critical element of competition” if passengers had to spend time on trains between airports. So neither Heathrow nor Gatwick want Heathwick. On the suggested rail link between Heathrow and Stansted, Mr Leo said that had a dual hub system between Heathrow and Stansted been viable, BAA,would already have pursued that option, but it would not be of use to Heathrow.
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Business passengers becoming a rare breed at Stansted
Recently published figures from the CAA show that business passengers are increasingly deserting Stansted - which is working at under half its capacity. The CAA’s 2011 Passenger Survey Report published earlier this month shows that Stansted catered for just 2.8 million business passengers last year, the lowest number for ten years whilst Gatwick handled 5.6 million – an increase of 1.1 million on the previous year – and Heathrow handled 22.0 million business passengers, up 2.2 million on the previous year. Fewer than one in every six passengers at Stansted is now travelling for business purposes, the lowest proportion for any of the UK’s top 6 airports - (the main London 4 plus Manchester and Birmingham). Stansted is now so dominated by Ryanair, which accounts for over 70% of its passengers that though flights go daily to holiday destinations, there are no flights to key business cities in Europe, far less further afield.
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Ciampino (Rome) campaigners expose Ryanair’s false jobs claims
Ryanair claims that it has created 4,000 jobs in Rome since it started using Ciampino Airport a few years ago. These claims have been ridiculed by the local campaigners. In a press release they said: "If tomorrow Ryanair claims the Colosseum in Rome exists only because of them, calm them down! We can prove with absolute certainty that it already existed". The campaigners show that Ryanair takes money out of the Italian economy. They quote the Corriere della Sera newspaper which found that Italy has lost at least €500 million in taxes in recent years because Ryanair has been allowed to pay its taxes in countries with a lower rate of tax. They also show that some Italian airports have paid Ryanair to use the airport or charged them very low landing fees. Aircraft noise has become a major problem for residents at Ciampino Airport since Ryanair started using the airport a few years ago. Many communities live very close to the airport.
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London Southend Airport to begin terminal extension in November
Southend airport is set to begin a €12m terminal extension project in early November 2012. The process will be in three phases. The first phase will be construction of a new arrivals facility with completion scheduled by the end of May 2013. Completion of the project will see expansion of the terminal building to 90m long, a rise in number of check-in desks/baggage drop off points and adding space for passengers in security. The Departure Lounge will be expanded and there will be changes in Arrivals. The airport anticipates the final phase to be finished ahead of Christmas 2013. They hope the number of passengers will top 2 million by 2020.
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CEOs of MAG, Bristol airport and Dubai (sic, Dubai) airport want UK to make rapid airports decision
CEOs of Manchester and Bristol airports are criticising the slowness of the mechanism to decide on future UK airport capacity - the terms of reference etc of the Davies Commission have not yet even been announced. The two airports are joined by Dubai airport - not naturally part of the UK decision making system. Manchester Airports Group say the lack of certainty about future airport plans "increases risks and drives businesses to focus investment opportunities in other countries." They also claim, as usual, that "airports are integral to the economic success of the UK and the need for a long-term framework is absolutely critical." Manchester built a second runway 15 years ago (but it is actually very under-used) and the airport now has more passengers than Stansted. Now we have Paul Griffiths, chief executive of Dubai Airports, with his own axe to grind, saying the UK needs to have both Heathrow expanded and an estuary airport. Bristol airport wants government to "invest more in regional aviation". And of course, a cut in APD.
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Important legal challenge by Vienna campaigners on noise compensation
Vienna airport has plans for a third runway, saying it is necessary due to increasing numbers of passengers etc. A decision due to be made on 8th November by the European Court of Justice could have major implications for campaigners across Europe. The court will decide whether compensation should be paid to residents who experience noise as a result of new flight paths being introduced. The compensation would be paid for loss of value of their property. The case has been brought by AFLG (Antifluglärmgemeinschaft) which consists of the 38 citizens' initiatives who are opposed to the proposed 3rd runway at Vienna Airport. More details about the challenge in this newspaper article
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Westminster committee hears from Belfast residents on aircraft noise from Belfast City Airport
A committee of MPs at Westminster has been hearing from Belfast residents affected by aircraft noise linked to George Best Belfast City Airport. The umbrella residents group, Belfast City Airport Watch (BCAW), was invited to give evidence to the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee at Westminster on 24th October as part of its inquiry into an air transport strategy for Northern Ireland. All three MPs whose constituencies are affected by the noise issue – Naomi Long MP, Alasdair McDonnell MP and Lady Sylvia Hermon MP – sit on the Committee and were present at the meeting. Dr Liz Fawcett, Chair of the BCAW Steering Group, said the group was very pleased with the reception it got from the MPs, and their interest in the issues. BCAW want the regulation of aircraft noise at the non-designated airports to be strengthened. The current proposals in the draft Aviation Policy Framework consultation do not go far enough. The consultation ends on 31st October. There is information on how to respond, and on the noise section in particular.
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ICE wants an Olympic Delivery Authority type of body to implement Davies Commission findings
The Institution of Civil Engineers, (ICE) and the Chartered Institution of Highways and Transportation (CIHT) are using their influence to put more pressure on government to plan for a hub airport that has "more than three runways and rapid access to Central London". But as this will take some time to build, they want the Davies Commission to "simultaneously conduct a thorough review of all the short term options.” They are saying the Commission’s interim report in 2013 must indicate a clear direction of travel and come 2015, Government should make an unambiguous decision that has cross party consensus and can be driven forward.” To do this they are advocating the dangerous idea of a body similar to the one that delivered the Olympics. The ICE wants an Act of Parliament to create "a special, time limited delivery body like the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) to implement the Davies Commission’s recommendations. Such a body would be essential in providing focus and leadership for timely and efficient delivery of what will be a hugely complex project." And they want to be part of it.
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Criticism by MP Stephen McPartland over Luton Airport application
An application to double to size of Luton Airport is expected soon, but there is fresh criticism of the plans. The MP for Stevenage, Stephen McPartland, has said he would continue to fight the expansion and criticised a motion passed last week by Stevenage Borough Council in favour of the expansion. He says that he, and the Comet newspaper, will continue to oppose expansion of the airport, due to the local aircraft noise nuisance and road traffic congestion. North Hertfordshire District Council has also now criticised the airport’s plans, and sent in comments against the expansion plans in its consultation response. There are also serious concerns about Luton Borough Council – which owns the airport – being the body that decides the outcome of the airport's planning application. A council spokesman gave this unconvincing response: “The council’s role as local planning authority is entirely separate to that as shareholder of London Luton Airport Ltd (LLAL). Each is run wholly independently of each other with their respective functions entirely separate."
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Update on the evictions and demolitions at Notre-Dame des Landes
Some 150 to 200 anti-capitalist protesters - some from other parts of France and of Europe - continue to try to delay and interfere with preparations for the start of work on the new Nantes airport at Notre-Dame des Landes. Some seven people have been arrested. They accuse the State of being the aggressors against them. Some said they had only thrown corn cobs and carrots at the police. About 10 houses have been pulled down. According to the prefecture, these squatter evictions are justified due to the imminence of the preparatory work for future road access to the airport, which should start in January. The work on the airport itself should begin in 2014 for commissioning in 2017.
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Another day. Another bonkers idea. A 4-runway Luton. Proposed by architects. Airport says it is unworkable
Why does the Evening Standard keep doing it? At least every week, there is another story about some sort of science-fiction type airport proposal. Barely thought through. Barely plausible. This time is the turn of Luton to have 4 runways proposed by a firm of architects, Weston Williamson - which seems to have mainly worked on railway stations in the past, in terms of transport projects. The scheme’s backers claim that, of the capital’s six airports, only Luton has good enough UK-wide links to make it a nationally accessible hub, next to the M1 and on the high-speed Midlands rail line to St Pancras as well the Thameslink route to central London and the south coast. A spokesperson for London Luton Airport Ltd, said: “We don’t think these plans are workable.The idea of a new airport immediately to the south of Luton was first raised in a 2002 masterplan which was subsequently found to be unrealistic, largely because of the cost and the site’s valley location." They were "setting themselves apart" from the proposal. The topography is not suitable.
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New report by Transform Scotland challenges business to try the train
TTransform Scotland has published the new report, 'On track for business: Why Scottish businesses should try the train', which sets out the economic benefits available to Scottish businesses and public sec tor bodies in switching from air travel to rail travel, and challenges Scottish business to save money and benefit the environment by using the train for business travel between Edinburgh and London. The value of productive work done on the train is part of the cost calculation. The report compares air and rail business travel for business on the Edinburgh-London route, and concludes that rail travel is a superior product to air. It says rail is better value for money, provides a high-quality working environment during the journey with with Wi-Fi, power points, and quiet work space, is more relaxing and is less hard on the environment. Progress has been made by major Scottish businesses RBS and SSE in switching from air to rail.
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Labour joins call to fast-track airports review – to get Davies to report before 2015 election
Labour has joined Boris in demanding that a review into London’s airports be completed before the next election. Shadow transport secretary Maria Eagle has warned that delaying the report of the independent commission to be headed by Sir Howard Davies until after 2015 risked "kicking the issue into the long grass." Maria Eagle said “There will therefore be no possibility of cross-party talks in advance of the election to establish whether consensus can be reached to support Sir Howard’s recommendations — and no opportunity to make the manifesto commitments that mean these are significantly more likely to become a reality.” Labour has shifted its post-election position from being against a 3rd runway at Heathrow to being “sceptical” about it. Ms Eagle also said (at the AOA conference) that the delay in the review would make it harder to form a policy on the proposed high-speed rail route.
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Surprise, surprise. Air travellers would like to pay less tax (wouldn’t we all?)
In a particularly silly story, as part of the Telegraph's continuing campaign against Air Passenger Duty, they misrepresent a survey done by the Airport Operators Association. The AOA has done a survey of travellers, (but the survey is not made public, so the nature of the questions cannot be seen) and this comes out with the un-surprising result that (shock, horror) 80% of those questioned would like to pay less tax. Nobody likes paying tax, and if any sample of payers of a particular tax were questioned about whether they would like to pay less, they would agree that they would. The Telegraph headling "Eight in ten Britons back air tax cut" is especially inaccurate, as in any one year, it is likely that only about 47% of Brits actually get on a plane (see below). So a survey of air passengers flying this year is only perhaps at best representative of half the UK population. That 80% is more like 40% of the total. And who is surprised if people want to get something for less, and pay less tax?
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Government to consider? accept? support? back? implement? Davies Commission findings?
At the announcement of the Davies Commission, by Patrick McLoughlin on 7th September, he said - of the Commission: "A decision on whether to support any of the recommendations contained in the final report will be taken by the next Government." (see link). The Guardian is now reporting that, speaking at the Airport Operators Association, Simon Burns (Minister of State for Transport) said the Conservatives would back and implement the findings of the commission led by Sir Howard Davies when it reports in 2015. Patrick McLoughlin said of it on around 7th October: "I hope all main parties will back his findings." link The Guardian is saying that, before this AOA meeting, McLoughlin had only "pledged to consider" its recommendations The Guardian reports that the aviation industry has jumped on this comment by Simon Burns. The terms of reference and membership of the Davies Commission are yet to be confirmed, almost two months after it was first announced. Burns said there would be more details within weeks.
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Growing Biofuels on “Surplus” Land May Be Harder Than Estimated
Degraded or marginal lands may not be able to productively support the growth of biofuel crops, contrary to previous reports. Biofuels companies hope that surplus land, or land unused in either conservation or agricultural production, offers an elegant solution to the food versus fuel arguments that have plagued bioenergy. The problem, according to a new study in the journal BioRisk, is that the productive capacity of known surplus lands may be greatly overestimated. It is necessary to ascertain "who's living on the land, who's working on the land, what ecosystems services you're dealing with -- we might find out there's a whole lot of land we just can't convert into anything else." Availability of water, soil quality, conservation requirements, GHG emssions from disturbed soils and existing habitation or other human use are all factors that need to be taken into consideration -- and have sometimes been ignored -- when designating marginal land for the production of biofuel.Even hearty species like switchgrass and miscanthus tend to yield less biomass when planted in nutrient-poor or degraded soil.
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