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Summaries of, and links to, the latest aviation news stories appear below. News is archived into topics
For a daily compilation of UK articles on national and regional transport issues, see Transportinfo.org.uk | For more stories about specific airports see Aviation Environment Federation Transport & Environment Anna Aero TravelMole Press releases from CAA IATA BA Ryanair easyJet Jet2.com For climate change ECEEE news and Guardian Climate and NoAA monthly analysisCheck Hansard for reports on Parliament |
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Latest news stories:
New $40 million funding annoucement for development of US military & aviation biofuels from DOE
The USA's Department of Energy is to provide $40 million in funding for new producers of biofuels for the military and for aviation. They want to fund innovative sources of fuel and pilot and demonstration production of these fuels. "Novel and highly innovative technologies are strongly encouraged" from a wide variety of non-food lignocellulosic biomass feedstocks and algae, from sources within the USA. Use of excess oil production of food-grade oil does not constitute an acceptable feedstock. The aim is not environmental, but to reduce trade imbalances, and improve fuel security. It is estimated that the US transfers approximately $340 billion each year (nearly $1 billion per day) to foreign nations to purchase crude oil and refined products.
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Aviation emissions compromise possible between ICAO and European Union
The ICAO secretary-general Raymond Benjamin has said ICAO has narrowed down to 4 schemes the alternatives to the EU ETS, which it vigorously opposes. It is possible that some sort of compromise might happen. Some draft proposal should be produced by ICAO by March 2013, not the end of 2012, as had previously been suggested. Europe has repeatedly replied to opposition to the ETS that its hand was forced to go it alone after waiting in vain for more than 15 years for ICAO to come up with a global system to reduce aviation’s greenhouse gases. Their tardiness has been largely due to airline lobbies. There are now firm deadlines that will lead to a plenary assembly of ICAO in Montreal in September 2013 at which all 191 countries will be asked to vote on a single initiative. The EU has said they would modify their ETS if there is an equivalent global scheme. ICAO wants the funds from an ETS to go to aviation, while the EU ETS funds go into general government revenues.
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Aviation industry “Fair Tax on Flying” promoting their campaign to cut APD, yet again…
A Fair Tax on Flying, an alliance of more than 30 airlines and tour operators, has launched (yet again) a new website which it hopes will encourage at least 100,000 Britons to register their opposition to Air Passenger Duty (APD). The campaign wants people to send a standard letter to their MP (no possibility to adapt or alter the letter, or for the person to add their own words) to complain about having to pay APD. The campaign complains (yawn, we have seen this several times before) that other European countries pay less tax on air travel. The campaign does not give the slightest hint that the reason why the UK government charges APD is because air travel pays no VAT and no fuel tax. This is all very self serving, and predictably self interested, PR by the travel industry. Somewhat irresponsible too.
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Daniel Moylan given space in the Standard to push for estuary airport
Daniel Moylan, a very well paid close aide of Boris Johnson, has been given space in the Evening Standard (carrying on its campaign to give as much prominence as it can to any view proposing a new runway or airport) to push for an estuary airport. The article contains some truly stunning statements and mis truths. Such as needing 4 or 5 runways at an airport in order to successfully trade with China, and that Heathrow barely serves China. (It actually has more flights to Hong Kong and China than its European rivals). In an earlier statement in May, Daniel Moylan somewhat bizarrely said the airport in the Thames Estuary would "have huge long-term benefits. It’s not an exaggeration to say the effects will still be felt in 500 years’ time.”
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Evening Standard says Boris Johnson wants a 2nd runway at Stansted (and to be PM so he can build the estuary airport)
Boris says a 2nd Stansted runway, and high speed rail to the airport,as an "interim solution" would be, in his words, a “fantastic step in the right direction” to solving the South-East’s (alleged) air capacity crisis before building a new hub in the Thames Estuary. Boris is complaining that David Cameron, in response to the barrage of lobbying for a new runway at Heathrow, has not ruled it out after the next election in 2015 - and Boris says this is detracting from his plans for the mega airport in the Thames estuary. BAA said building runway 2 at Stansted "will not solve the UK’s hub airport capacity crisis" and would just "increase the amount of spare capacity there.” Boris's comments will be seen as an acceptance that the Government will not immediately opt for his estuary airport plan. Oh, and he wants to be Prime Minister too - so he can get the estuary airport plan through....
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“Grow Heathrow” in court facing eviction from their organic gardening site in Sipson – (now delayed a few weeks)
The "Grow Heathrow" community, who have turned an area in Sipson that was once a "derelict mess", into a thriving market garden, are facing eviction. However, the young people living there are popular with the local community, who want them to stay. When they arrived several years ago, they cleared as much as 30 tonnes of rubbish off the site, renovated greenhouses and now grow organic lettuces, courgettes,squashes etc. The site happens to be where a 3rd runway was to be built - a location in many of their neighbours' interests to protect. he owner of the land wants his land back, and a hearing at Central London County Court began on Monday but the judge has decided to take more time, so they are not due back in court for several weeks. The court is expected to weigh up the human rights and hard work of those who have moved in against the simple fact the land is not theirs.
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Munich residents vote against new 3rd runway at Munich airport – 54% said No
Munich residents voted against development of a 3rd runway, in a poll by the City of Munich, which owns 23% of the runway (state and federal government own the rest). Though the city only owns part of the airport, this is thought to be a veto. Munich Mayor Christian Ude said he would accept the result "without ifs or buts." Bavaria's state government, however, said it still hopes the runway could eventually be built.Munich is Germany's second-biggest airport. The vote has dealt another blow to airlines clamouring for growth in Germany. Just over 54% of polled voters were against the new runway and 45.7% in favour, according to preliminary results of the vote on Sunday. A German district government ruled in favour of the €1.2 billion Munich runway project almost a year ago. This vote shows, quote: "how difficult it has become to make clear the significance of important infrastructure projects in our country,' according to the Munich airport chief.
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Airline industry faces grim year as Gulf carriers take over the world
Aviation is an industry that has already made a multibillion-dollar global loss in 7 of the last 12 years, and it is not optimistic about its profit this year when losses are predicted to top $1bn. Perhaps only the cash-rich Gulf carriers can be optimistic at present. Quantas is doing badly. The rapid ascent of Middle East airlines and their hub airports, pioneered by Emirates in Dubai, has now been joined by Etihad from Abu Dhabi. Rising oil prices mean fuel now represents on average of about 33% of airline operating costs, from about 13% a decade ago. Globally, Iata forecasts $3bn profits this year for the entire industry, on revenues of more than $600bn. Most in the industry agree that consolidation will continue and accelerate, often when an airline goes bankrupt. It is an industry that has tended to grow too quickly in good times. An industry of fewer global players looks inevitable,
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Airbus A380 wing cracks: Who’s paying? Customers unhappy.
The wing crack issue that has plagued the Airbus A380 over recent months is going to cost millions of dollars to correct, but who is actually responsible for the repair costs? The cost to Airbus for researching the cracks, developing a fix and implementing the modified design for future wings is currently sitting at more than US$315 million. It takes 8 weeks to fix the cracks if the repairs are completed in one go. Alternatively, airlines can add extra time to the end of each major maintenance check until the fix is completed. Airbus and the airlines insist the A380 is safe to fly in the meantime. Airbus will not compensate airlines for the time when their planes are being fixed. But the A380 purchase contracts do not include a clause for this scenario.
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Aer Lingus to switch from Belfast International to Belfast City Airport
The Chief Executive of George Best Belfast City Airport has dismissed the remarks made by BALPA link , that Belfast should have only one airport, at a Commons Select Committee hearing as laughable. He said the airport is a profitable privately run company, and cannot be closed down against their wishes. BALPA had said that Belfast City airport was not needed, and was creating over capacity for Belfast. Meanwhile Aer Lingus is thought to be switching its operations from Belfast International Airport to Belfast City Airport, after the City airport lost BMI Baby. Aer Lingus flies to Heathrow and 7 European destinations, but it is thought it may expand routes to regional UK airports from the City and compete with Flybe. The move could happen soon, and the City Airport would have Belfast's only Heathrow connection.
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Aircraft noise reducing property prices by up to 30% near Frankfurt airport
Residents in Frankfurt, whose homes are now blighted by noise from the new 4th runway, that produces much more aircraft noise than expected, now know their property values are being seriously reduced. A recent study found the decline is up to 30%, in 20 communities around the airport. Those who can afford to are moving out of the area. The cost of compensating all those affected would be enormous, and so they are saying that the noise has to be reduced substantially.
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600 homes to finally get £1,500 compensation for building of Manchester 2nd runway
Nearly 600 homeowners and 6 schools in Knutsford and Mobberley are to get a pay out for the building of Manchester Airport's 2nd runway. This will come from the airport's owner, the Manchester Airports Group. The householders say claimed their properties were devalued due to the noise from the planes since the runway opened in 2001. The schools will get £1,300 each. This has been brokered by local MP, the Chancellor George Osborne, and Jeff Gazzard. Two years ago 300 Knutsford and Mobberley residents were compensated. This is the final compensation and the end of an 11 year battle. The total payout comes to £1 million. The airport will also pay the council tax precept, £117,702. which is levied to fund Knutsford town council and Mobberley parish council, for one year.
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What the Evening Standard has been putting out recently in its Heathrow PR campaign
The Evening Standard seems to have taken it upon itself, under the editorship of Sarah Sands, to persuade Londoners and the government that a third runway at Heathrow is needed, and must be built in order to save the UK from an economic fate "worse than death". It has produced about one article per day on the subject, over the past 2 weeks or so. Even though there is no new news, and nothing new to say - other than to keep trotting out the same arguments and the same people. To keep tabs, here is an (incomplete) list of the recent articles. You wouldn't want to miss one! There are bound to be more ... we'll try and keep track with them. And there's a link to John Stewart's blog on this strange, biased, one-sided barrage of pro-Heathrow PR that the Standard has embarked upon.
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Northern Ireland Affairs Committee told NI ‘does not need two airports 14 miles apart’ in Belfast
The Northern Ireland Affairs Committee has been told it is not sensible for Belfast to have two airports that are just 14 miles apart. This was the evidence from BALPA, which said its members agreed Northern Ireland only needed one main airport. BALPA said the decision on whether it should be at George Best Belfast City Airport or Belfast International was a matter for politicians - and that there was currently over capacity in Northern Ireland and it was the "wrong sort of capacity". MPs have already taken evidence from representatives of both airports, as well as from City of Derry Airport and will hear more evidence next week
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ICAO launches phone app to calculate CO2 footprint of flights – but excludes radiative forcing effects
ICAO have launched an iPhone and iPad app so fliers can calculate the amount of carbon their flights have generated. Which is great and very commendable. ICAO says the calculator has been available on the internet since it was first launched in 2008 and is used worldwide by the general public and all UN agencies etc. BUT, the snag is that the figures they give are very low, for the amount of carbon produced, and completely exclude non-CO2 "radiative forcing" effects. For example, for an economy class return flight for one person from Heathrow to New York, the ICAO calculator gives a figure of 770 kg of CO2, while most others give much higher figures, such as 1.84 or 1.87 tonnes including radiative forcing.
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Boeing, Air China and PetroChina aim for 2nd 50% jatropha biofuel flight test in autumn
Boeing in cooperation with Air China and PetroChina, will press ahead with a 2nd test flight that will be partly powered by jatropha. The flight will be in the last quarter of 2012, and be a trans-Pacific trip, far longer than the one-hour test flight that was conducted in China last October. That flight used 50% jatropha based fuel. China wants to produce more jet fuel from jatropha, which it claims can be produced from large areas of "barren land" where it might grow. The aim of the biofuel flight is to prove that a China-produced biofuel works, and to ensure "regulators and airlines around the world are comfortable using it for commercial flights."
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Euro zone crisis dents BAA airport traffic – so Colin Matthews uses that as a reason to push for more flights to China etc
Compared to May 2011, there were 0.1% fewer passengers this May at BAA's airports. Passengers at Heathrow were down - 0.6%. However, May 2011 had the Royal Wedding etc, which makes comparison less valid. And May 2010 was distorted by the volcanic ash issue. But it seems that passenger numbers between Heathrow and Greece dropped 11.3 % in May compared withMay 2011, with numbers to and from Italy falling 9.2%, Portugal 11.4 % and Spain 2.5%. This has, of course, been an opportunity for BAA's Colin Matthews to say this decline "demonstrated why it was vital for Britain to build air links to long-haul destinations whose economies were growing". And "This is why the UK needs to urgently build better links to the countries whose economies are growing such as China, India and Brazil." So BAA's airports can be kept full and its profits can be kept up - nothing to do with what is actually needed by the UK as a whole ....
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The real story behind the latest European Environment Agency transport emissions figures
Jos Dings, Director of T&E in Brussels, has analysed the EEA figures that appear to show a fall in transport emissions. He finds many flaws, indicating that emissions have not fallen by as much as is alleged, and much of the fall is caused inadvertently by the economic recession. The alleged drop is 1%, whereas 3% per year is needed in order to hit the EU's 2050 target for transport emissions. The 2010 figures indicate that transport emissions are up by 27% from their 1990 levels. However, the figures are artificially lowered by counting the 4% of biofuels used as zero carbon, while they are not. Including biofuels correctly, EU transport is 30% of the EU emissions total and EU transport emissions have risen by 32% since 1990.
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Declan Collier wants to increase London City Airport passengers from 3m to 7m by 2016
Declan Collier took over as MD of London City Airport in March. He plans to expand the 130-acre site's runway area and invest in new stands as part of a drive to reach 7m passengers annually by 2016 (it handled 3.3 million at its peak in 2008). There was a serious decline in passengers since 2008, though they increased by 7% in 2011 compared to 2010, but are still only around 3 million. Collier wants to put in place an investment and infrastructure plan to facilitate growth, and this may involve new investors coming in and current infrastructure fund owners GIP and Highstar Capital diluting their holdings. There are plans to increase the number of stands from 18 to 23, and "build a new runway area to increase 'movements' from 36 to 41 an hour "and introduce a new generation of aircraft to increase passenger numbers.
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China to build 70 airports by 2015 – taking the number to 230
The Chinese Aviation Administration says China will build 70 new airports within the next 3 years, even though China faces an economic slowdown, taking the number to 230 airports. They also plan to expand 100 existing airports. They say that Chinese carriers would operate around 4,700 planes by then, compared to 2,888 commercial planes at the end of 2011, growing by 300 planes per year from 2012 to 2015. Aviation in the Asia Pacific region, according to IATA, is due to produce a £1.3 billion profit this year, which is about half the profit in 2011. This is due to the slowdown in the Indian and Chinese economies though China has had booming air passenger growth due to rising demand for air travel by increasingly affluent Chinese people travelling more often.
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Chinese airlines refuse EU data request
Chinese airlines will refuse to submit carbon emissions data to the EU by this week’s deadline. This was extended from 31st March. The airlines say they are unanimous on this. Chinese officials says if the EU carries through with its threat of penalising Chinese airlines, they would immediately retaliate with measures against European airlines, which could include impounding European planes. There is now a Chinese working group to devise a list of retaliatory steps to be taken against the EU if any Chinese airline is penalised. They are still campaigning for the EU only to charge for carbon on internal EU flights. Under the EU plan, Germany will determine whether Air China is in breach of ETS regulations or not; France will monitor China Southern Airlines; and the Netherlands will monitor China Eastern Airlines.
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Peaceful protesters clash with police in Frankfurt at departure of pro-airport Mayor
There have been peaceful, but noisy, protests in the centre of Frankfurt, against the expansion of Frankfurt airport. The protests happened in the city centre, outside St Paul's Church were Chancellor Angela Merkel was attending the retirement ceremony for the Mayor, Petra Roth. Angela Merkel praised Petra Roth as being one of the most successful mayors in Germany. The Mayor has been in favour of expansion of Frankfurt airport and the new runway, which has been the cause of the new aircraft noise problem that so many Frankfurt citizens are suffering. This protest, by perhaps 1,000 people, who threw foam balls, let off sparklers and banged drums, was in addition to the weekly protests against the noise that take place at the airport. There were some scuffles with the heavy police presence.
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Birmingham advertising campaign and website pushing the idea they are the “solution”
Paul Kehoe, the boss of Birmingham Airport, is launching an aggressive advertising campaign across London as he hopes to claim for Birmingham a slice of London’s “overheating” aviation market. He continues to press for regional airports, like Birmingham (and Manchester, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Bristol and Newcastle) to take on a larger share of UK passengers, from the London airports. There is a new website to push this. Kehoe says his airport and other regionals can help solve the so-called “capacity crunch” in the South East, at little extra cost. Paul Kehoe is lobbying the Government hard, to get expansion at Birmingham. He says it is only 70 minutes by train from central London to Birmingham, and this could come down to under an hour with rail upgrades. Kehoe wants the UK to have several hub airports, Birmingham being one, Manchester another, being complimentary.
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European airlines could go out of business, warns IATA economist Brian Pearce
With the industry predicting that European carriers will lose £710m between them this year, chief economist of IATA thinks there could be some casualties. There have already been some casualties, like Spanair and Malev, and other the Hungarian national carrier, and weaker flag carriers could be in danger. Due to the Euro crisis IATA forecast for the year has almost doubled the amount it expects European airlines to lose this year, from £385 million at the last forecast. Last year the same airlines were able to make a combined net profit of £321m, and 2011 was the 2nd successive year in which they had made money. However, aviation is maintaining its profitability in other parts of the world and expecting to make a profit of £1.9bn - but less than half the £5.1bn they made in 2011.
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Zac Goldsmith ‘would quit as MP over Heathrow runway’
Zac Goldsmith has said he will not stand as a Conservative MP at the next election if the party supports a third runway at Heathrow. Zac, who is MP for Richmond Park and north Kingston says the focus should be on improving how Heathrow manages its flight capacity. On the BBC's Sunday Politics Show he said he said if the Conservatives stand at the next election with a manifesto which includes a third runway, a number of what are existing Conservative seats would no longer be Conservative seats in west London. Theresa Villiers has reiterated her concerns about the environmental impact of a 3rd runway and the potential for it to damage people's quality of life, and said she does not see "any technological solution on the horizon which could see us change our minds."
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Opponents of the Munich airport expansion hang “Stop the 3rd runway” banner on Siegestor tower
Campaigners from Robin Wood, and Plane Stupid Germany have carried out a spectacular action in the centre of Munich, protested against the planned third runway at the airport. They fixed banners reading “Stop the third runway madness!” on the Victory Tower (Siegestor). They also had banners saying “No on 17.6. because they are asking the electorate to vote against the construction of the runway in Erdinger Moos in the referendum on 17th June. They are also demanding a statement from Mayor Christian UDE (SPD), on how he is able to justify supporting the expansion of the airport, as well as the Festival for the environment and sustainable mobility ,as patron of Streetlife.
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Ministers propose revisions to EU airport noise regulations
The European Commission is recommending the adoption of ICAO’s so-called "balanced approach" to replace existing regulation on noise management at the region’s airports. The EU Transport Ministers have recommended that the ICAO standards and EU best practice in noise management become European law in order to even out disparities between states and ensure that certain processes are adhered to where measures are taken to mitigate air traffic noise. For example, the EC has recommended that competent authorities should be able to focus on marginally compliant aircraft and phase them out first, instead of introducing general night flight bans, which also affect operators of much quieter aircraft.
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Charles Dickens’ grandson on how estuary airport would ruin area made famous by Great Expectations
Charles Dickens' great-great-grandson has spoken out against plans for an estuary airport, which would ruin the marshlands and countryside made famous his ancestor. This area provided the setting for Great Expectations - one of Dickens' greatest novels. He is horrified by the plans to build on the marshland, bordering the area of Kent where Dickens lived and died. This year is the bicentenary of Dickens' birth, with a festival all weekend in celebration in north Kent of his life and work. In the opening scene of Great Expectations, Dickens describes the marshes as a "dark, flat, wilderness... intersected with dykes and mounds and gates, with scattered cattle feeding on it". Dickens loved this part of Kent, he lived and died in Higham, he took his honeymoon in Chalk and he often walked across the Marshes for inspiration.
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Is Travel The New Way to “Keep Up With The Joneses”?
Travelling has become a commodity, as it is now so easy, convenience and relatively cheap. Travel is a way to keep up with the Joneses. The pressure to go on exotic vacations is very real, as people don't want to "miss out" on things other people in their peer group get to do. Seeing others having amazing experiences (living abroad, swimming with dolphins, being on fabulous beaches etc) makes people want to do those things too - sometimes just to fit in, be an "interesting" person and have a story to tell. During the recession there has been more airing of the concept that buying stuff won’t make you happy so instead you should spend your effort and money on “experiences”. The idea is that after your basis needs are met, having more “stuff” doesn’t actually make people happy, but spending time with friends, on hobbies, or just doing some simple activity that you like will make you happier. But the message has been co-opted into not just spending time on things, but also spending money. The marketers and advertisers want us to buy fancy dinners, or exotic trips, or pricey theatre tickets. People are encouraged to re-prioritize their spending from acquiring objects, to spending money on trips and experiences. There is a competitive element, and one of not being left out of the fun.
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Rival plans for Luton Airport expansion to be merged
Not altogether surprisingly, the hitherto-separate plans produced by the airport owner and the airport operator have been combined, and the airport operator's concession to run the airport has been extended to 2031. That takes some of the urgency out of the need to produce planning applications as the 2014 break-point in the concession is no longer a factor. There is likely to now be a planning application later this summer. More details will be released when the plans are finalised in July. The new scheme is likely to have a passenger throughput up to "about 18 million a year" and an additional 40% more aircraft movements a year. However, earlier this year the operator -London Luton Airport Operations Limited (LLAOL) - said 15 million was more realistic.
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“Chocks away as Birmingham Airport hits road to London” – ad campaign
This is yet more publicity for Birmingham airport, to position itself as the solution to the airport capacity problem that is alleged for the south east. There are now roadside billboards in Northamptonshire, Buckinghamshire or Oxfordshire warning motorists of "Heathrow: congestion ahead" and questioning whether or not they are "Going in the right direction?" if heading to a London airport. And the strap-line of this high profile advertising campaign delivers the main message: "Birmingham makes more sense." Paul Kehoe continues his campaign to boost his airport, saying that after a £200 million investment programme, they could handle an extra 9 million passengers a year. etc
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Analysis of EU ETS shows that it is the same as other charges in reaching beyond sovereign airspace
The American Environmental Defense Fund says - in response to critics of the EU ETS who say the scheme should not operate outside European airspace - that this argument is incorrect. Though part of a flight from, say, the USA is not over Europe, the flight only takes place because its destination is in Europe. Without that being the destination of the passengers, the plane would not be there. All the emissions from the whole flight occur because the passengers want to get to Europe - so all are within the EU ETS. This principle has been agreed by the UNCCC and ICAO. The EDF also rejects arguments based on sovereignty because many countries already impose charges like arrival or departure taxes, on the whole flight, and not only part of it. The ETS is no different.
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Worries that German air traffic control might buy up large share in NATS
Labour has accused the UK Government of yet another policy U-turn after it was suggested George Osborne was getting cold feet over a £1 billion plan to sell off the Coalition's 49% controlling stake in NATS. Industry sources claimed that the Treasury was rethinking the proposal to sell it off as it was fearful the German equivalent to Nats would make a move to take over the UK's air space after it was suggested the 7 British airlines, which form the Airline Group, might sell their collective 42% share to Germany's state-controlled DFS. One industry source said: "It would not be a good idea to hand control of Britain's skies to Berlin.
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Sugar-based biofuel flight on 19th June, to coincide with Rio+20, purporting to be “sustainable”
Here's a depressing story. Using jet fuel derived from sugarcane, and therefore not separate from food production, Azul Brazilian Airlines will put on a flight on 19th June. They say how desirable using sugarcane is for jet fuel, as it "can be produced sustainably in large-scale quantities in Brazil and other tropical countries." And that jet fuel from sugarcane has "emission reduction potential". This flight, to coincide with Rio+20 is just greenwash, and the industry capitalising on a marketing opportunity for a form of fuel is actually not sustainable, and that competes with land that could and should be used for food production..
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Paul Kehoe wants to move Birmingham Airport passenger terminals one kilometer
Paul Kehoe, of Birmingham Airport, wants to move the airport's passenger terminals more than half a mile east to be closer to the planned HS2 interchange. The airport’s runway and airside operations would remain where they are. He said this would free up space for more passengers and flights. He plans to start a consultation about moving the terminals. HS2 Ltd considered moving the new station closer to the airport but ruled it out because of the “very significant knock-on effects” it would have to the local community. Moving the terminals would need environmental impact assessments. Plans for HS2 involve building a new Birmingham Interchange station to connect to the airport.
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Berlin campaign against the opening of Berlin Brandenberg airport next year
John Stewart, Chair of AirportWatch and of HACAN, was in Berlin on Sunday 3rd June. He was speaking at a rally of over 1,000 people who demonstrated outside the town hall in Central Berlin against the new Berlin Brandenberg near Berlin, which is due to open next year. The airport was due to open this year, but this has been delayed for many months, due to safety issues. This delay has given the protesters against the airport in Berlin time to mobilise and really oppose the opening of the airport. With active protest taking place in Frankfurt against the noise from the new runway, and active opposition in Munich against a proposed 3rd runway at the airport, it is likely that a German AirportWatch will be set up, bringing together all the campaigns, and making them all more forceful in their concerted action.
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Carlisle airport’s application for 394,000 square foot freight centre delayed again
A decision on the future of Carlisle Airport has been delayed again. Stobart Group wants to build a 394,000sq ft freight-distribution centre and to resurface the runway ready for scheduled passenger flights and an airfreight service. Carlisle City councillors were due to consider the planning application this month, but it has been withdrawn from the development control committee’s agenda at Stobart’s request, as they want to submit more information. It is now up for review on 6th July. Planning officers were advising councillors to turn it down on the grounds that “the distribution centre appears to be primarily for road haulage rather than airport related
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Edinburgh Airport changes hands to Global Infrastructure Partners
GIP has now taken ownership of Edinburgh Airport. GIP also own Gatwick and London City aiports. It was bought for £805 million. The airport's current managing director, Jim O'Sullivan, has agreed to continue in his role until Gordon Dewar arrives, to be Chief Executive. Sir John Elvidge has become chairman of Edinburgh airport. GIP has improved efficiency at Gatwick airport, and there is expectation that they will do the same at Edinburgh.
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Newcastle Airport: Private firm to sell 49% stake
Copenhagen Airports is selling off its 49% stake in Newcastle Airport, but the seven local councils (LA7) which own the rest say their share is not for sale. These are Durham County, Gateshead, Newcastle, Northumberland, North Tyneside, South Tyneside and Sunderland Councils . Copenhagen’s Australian backers are pulling out of foreign airports and Newcastle is the last one it has a share in. They have owned part of it for 11 years. The leader of the LA7 group said “The airport is a major asset for the region, employing 3,000 people, and generating hundreds of millions of pounds for the North East every year." The airport has started trying to refinancing it debts. It has until December 2013 to repay a £320m loan taken out in 2006. It had 4.3 million passengers in 2011 compared to 5.6 million in 2007.
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Murad Qureshi on how Heathrow is expanding passenger numbers, but BAA don’t want Londoners to know it
In his blog, Murad Qureshi (Chair of the Environment Committee, of the London Assembly) writes that after a week of BAA propaganda last week in the pages of the Evening Standard you would be forgiven for thinking that Heathrow is not expanding – but it is! It may not be by the number of flights coming in and out of Heathrow but it certainly is by passenger numbers. The A380s have around 500 passengers each. At present Heathrow turns over 69 million passengers annually and once the redevelopment and construction of the five terminals are complete, it will be able to cope with 90 million passengers a year. This capacity is not something we hear about often but the fact is that Heathrow will be able to deal an extra 20 million passengers annually! This point is made well by AirportWatch yesterday in a letter to the Financial Times.
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Redhill Aerodrome to submit new runway plan – public consultation
The owners of Redhill Aerodrome, a grass airfield in Surrey, are to submit a revised application to build a hard runway. They want to replace its 3 grass runways with a concrete one, much longer. Its current longest runway is some 890 metre, and the proposed runway will have a total length of 1349 metres. This would give the aerodrome the potential to increase flights from 60,000 to 85,000 a year. The longer runway would allow business jets to use the aerodrome - some 20,000 per year. Tandridge and Reigate and Banstead Councils turned down its original application at the end of 2011. It now hopes its amended application addresses the reasons for refusal before. More than 1,000 people signed a petition against the original plans, saying they would cause unacceptable noise and pollution. Its green belt site straddles the border between Tandridge and Reigate and Banstead.
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AirportWatch letter in the FT: Focus on filling existing Heathrow terminals
Contrary to the impression often given by the aviation industry, Heathrow is not full. While its runways are close to capacity, it has the terminal capacity to accommodate another 20m passengers each year. BAA is failing to exploit the opportunities this presents. BAA’s focus should instead be on working with government to develop market mechanisms that encourage the airlines to take advantage of this spare terminal capacity in order to bring more intercontinental business passengers to London through the use of larger aircraft. This will not happen as long as BAA remains so focused on a third runway.
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Munich protest banner drop off the spectacular Stadhaus – “No Third Runway”
Protesters from Plane Stupid Germany have performed a stunning protest against the proposed third runway at Munich airport. They displayed two large vertical banners beside the huge clock, just above the Munich Stadhaus world-famous Glockenspiel. One banner reads "KOA Dritte" - No Third Runway. The other reads "Weltstadt" with a heart, as Munich has as one of its slogans, World City With a Heart. The protest is about runway plans, without a democratic referendum, and that the airport has tried to influence the decision process by contributing about €1 million to the pro-runway campaign. The. The new runway would demolish a village, ruin the homes of many people and devastate a huge area. Plane Stupid also fear the contribution to climate change, as the airport is the largest CO2 emitter in Bavaria.
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Timebomb ticking in Thames Estuary could put Boris Island plans in jeopardy. SS Richard Montgomery.
Perhaps as part of the Standard's crusade to push for a 3rd Heathrow runway, they have written about the wreck of the SS Richard Montgomery, just off shipping lanes and close to the coast of the Isle of Grain in the Thames Estuary. This is full of 7,000 tonnes of wartime, unexploded, explosives (over 2,000 cases of cluster fragmentation bombs, nearly 600 500lb armour piercing bombs and at least 1,000 additional 1,000lb bombs). The ship would have to be removed or neutralised (how?) if a massive airport was to be built. The ship is nicknamed the £1 billion time bomb based of the amount of damage it could cause in the event of an explosion. It is estimated that a blast could trigger a tidal wave up to four feet high, destroying some coastal communities.
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Boris: dead against 3rd Heathrow runway, but wants runway at Stansted or Gatwick reconsidered (while waiting for the estuary airport)
Interviewed by Allegra Stratton, of BBC's Newsnight, Boris Johnson said London should follow Hong Kong's example and build a new airport. And quickly. Boris Johnson has accused the government of trying to kick a decision about a new airport into "the long grass" until past the next election, and that this was down to the coalition leadership trying to "appease their ideological environmental wing" of both parties. Boris said his colleagues in central government appear to be "tip-toeing back towards the electrified fence of the third runway," and says that if they go ahead they will get "the most powerful shock". He opposes a 3rd Heathrow runway, but urges the government to discard the coalition agreement and consider expanding at Stansted or Gatwick as an interim solution ahead of any new airport built in the South East.
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Heathrow night flights: Ministers to consider economic impact of sleep loss
The government says it will consider the economic impact of sleep disruption on people living near Heathrow in any review of night flights to the airport. Current rules, under which an average of between 14 and 16 flights land before 6am each day, were recently extended until October 2014. A Minister pledged to balance business and noise concerns in future. Campaigners are pressing for a ban on flights arriving before 6am - which come mainly from the Far East and the west coast of America - and a phased reduction in arrivals before 6am and 7am. Susan Kramer said: "Local residents are woken at 4am onwards not because of capacity issues at Heathrow but because of limits on departure schedules at other airports." HACAN commented: "We have, frankly, never believed the argument made by the airline industry that if 16 night flights were moved to daytime then the economy of London and the UK would collapse,"
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BAA given last chance to appeal Stansted sale
At the Royal Courts of Justice in London, BAA was told it could make its case for the final time before the Court of Appeal. No date has been set for a hearing. This means the 3-year long battle by BAA to avoid having to sell Stansted drags on, yet again. The legal battle started back in March 2009 with a Competition Commission ruling that ordered the break-up of BAA. It has already had to sell Gatwick and Edinburgh airports, and BAA argues that the aviation market has changed substantially since the original ruling. It also stresses that Stansted does not compete with its only other remaining London airport, Heathrow. The airport's MD says the ownership battle had hampered the airport’s ability to grow and attract more airlines, and it has lost about a quarter of its passengers since 2007.
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Finally after a week of pro-Heathrow aviation spin the Standard, they publish some letters against
Last week saw a series of stunningly one-sided pieces in the Evening Standard, putting the pro-Heathrow expansion case with no attempt at balance - and unquestioningly regurgitating aviation industry lobbying without any critical analysis. The last one on Friday was by Tim Yeo, saying that he now backs a Heathrow third runway. But this article contained so many really bizarre, and mis-informed statements, (such as claiming that planes will be so quiet that people will not notice them flying overhead at night,and that a third Heathrow runway will not increase UK emissions) that the Standard could see it was time to put a few of the opposing arguments. There are today 4 letters in the Standard, including one from AirportWatch. The letters are on CO2 and the ETS; the phenomenal connectivity that Heathrow already has; the fallacy of quiet aircraft in future; and the dismal air quality around Heathrow already.
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Telegraph, following the Standard, gives Colin Matthews a good plug. But it’s not well received.
In a Telegraph article, looking just like a re-hash of the PR splurge last week in the Evening Standard, Colin Matthews of BAA gets to put his point of view about wanting a third Heathrow runway, yet again. Colin Matthews says all the usual things he generally says, about doom, gloom etc, unless he gets another runway .... But there are a large number of comments under the article, which appear to be hugely against the line Colin Matthews is peddling. The commentators appear to see straight through the BAA self-interest, and attempts to confuse. One comment says: "BAA first claim that a hub airport "is critical to the UK", but then explain that airlines do prefer hubs over point-to-point because it keeps "their planes full". So the truth is that hubs are good for airlines, NOT the UK." Which rather sums it up.
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Government adviser suggests radical Heathrow Airport plan: ‘Forget a third runway, turn it into a garden city’
Former government adviser Graeme Bell says it is time to “reinvent” the Heathrow site that is increasingly ill-suited to the needs of a modern hub airport. In a new report - called Heathrow Garden City -he suggests the airport should be bulldozed and a new airport created elsewhere. The five square mile airport site, according to Me Bell, would be the perfect location for a new sustainable community of more than 30,000 residents in the traditions of Hampstead Garden Suburb and Welwyn Garden City. It could become “the biggest redevelopment site in Europe”. There would be parks, allotments, open water etc etc. Talking of the current level of noise and air pollution around Heathrow, Mr Bell said ‘This is a really bad use of a piece of land inside the M25.’
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The campaign against Munich’s possible 3rd runway, from Young Friends of the Earth, Bavaria
Young Friends of the Earth Bavaria have written about why they are opposing the planned third runway, and why it is not needed - as well as the environmental damage it would do. Their short briefing on what is happening at Munich gives useful detail. The plan for the runway is only to that there will never be delays of more than 4 minutes to flights, even if numbers double, over the next 20 to 30 years. Almost unbelievable to build a runway for that, especially if flight numbers are not growing - and as the airport is losing money and has debts now of €2.7 billion already. Munich airport is already the largest carbon emitter in Bavaria, emitting about 10% of Bavaria's CO2. In Germany all aviation issues are planned and decided at a local and regional level by town halls, not at a national level. So, until this year, there has been a lack of a national debate around aviation. But this has now changed.
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Durham Tees Valley airport applying to Regional Growth Fund for freight distribution centre
An expansion plan is being drawn up for loss-making Durham Tees Valley Airport and will be handed to the Government within weeks. The airport is preparing a bid to the regional growth fund to develop a 250-acre south side of the airport, for freight services/distribution (does not say whether any air freight is included). The application will include a new internal road, installing gas, electricity and drainage connection, and perhaps new buildings. Peel Holdings Ltd, the airport’s owner (owns 80%), has to submit the bid to the £1bn fund by the deadline of June 13th. There has been an 80% fall in the number of passengers since 2006, from 912,000 down to 190,000 in 2011. The focus on freight confirms the expectation the airport will find it difficult to increase passenger numbers. However, their airport's air freight tonnage has plummeted to almost nothing in the past two years
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OFT fines British Airways a reduced sum of £58.5m for fuel surcharge cartel
The Office of Fair Trading announced on 19 April 2012 that BA would be fined £58.5m for its involvement in a cartel to fix fuel surcharge pricing on long-haul passenger flights to and from the UK between August 2004 and January 2006. During this period, BA co-ordinated fuel surcharge pricing with Virgin Atlantic Airways through the exchange of pricing and other commercially sensitive information in response to rising oil prices. Following the issue of a Statement of Objections in November 2011, the original fine of £121.5m was reassessed in the light of a number of factors including legal developments.
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Shock of discovery of Luton Airport plan to expand up to 30 million passengers (not just 18 million)
Herts County Council has just discovered that Luton Airport’s owners - Luton Borough Council - are hatching plans to increase capacity not just to 18m passengers per year – but to 30 million. HCC says this is frightening. 30 million is triple what the airport currently handles. Their pre-application to the National Infrastructure Planning body refers to a planning application as early as end of 2013. The airport (and its owners, Luton BC) have indicated from the start that they would eventually like to see the capacity increased to 30m passengers per year. Yet the planning consultation they put forward publicly only talks of 18m. The current airport operators (a different company) made it very clear that even this would constitute over-investment, and that a realistic maximum for this “local” airport would be more like 16m passengers per year. To aim for 30 million would require the applicaiton to be called-in by government.
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Belfast schools hit by City airport’s noise proposals
Belfast City airport has submitted proposals that would replace an existing passenger cap with one controlling noise. This will increase the amount of total noise experienced by those near flight paths. Belfast City Airport Watch (BCAW) believes this would mean that 21 schools would potentially be subjected to aircraft noise at a level above that recommended by the WHO, and 9 would would potentially experience aircraft noise at a level which the UK government regards as serious. Up to 46,000 people in Belfast and north Down would also be affected at levels well above those recommended by WHO. BCAW says “Under these proposals, the City Airport could become one of the noisiest in the UK, in terms of its effect on schools and the local population. There is a robust body of research which shows that high levels of aircraft noise impact negatively on children’s education and on people’s health." The Department of the Environment is currently carrying out a public consultation into the airport proposals.
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Airport protests about serious aircraft noise over residential areas near Shanghai Hongqiao
Local authorities in China are considering reducing the number of large airplanes used at Hongqiao Shanghai International Airport, to try to ease noise complaints from nearby residents. This is according to the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC). Hongqiao airport is close to the city center, and there are many residential communities nearby. Complaints about noise levels began after the airport's new Terminal 2 was put into use ahead of the World Expo 2010 in Shanghai. Earlier two CPPCC members advised that more large planes be detoured to Shanghai Pudong International Airport to reduce noise levels at Hongqiao. The government's slow reaction to the problem has caused fierce conflicts between official departments and the people. Some 7,000 others from two communities about 500 meters from the new airport terminal, have taken turns over the past year to protest against the noise at the airport daily.
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Spate of suspiciously pro-Heathrow articles that have appeared in the Evening Standard. Why?
Something odd is going on at the Standard. There is a new editor, Sarah Sands. And the paper has done three days on the trot of large articles giving the maximum publicity it dares to promoting the BAA line that Heathrow has to be expanded. Without any new facts or particularly strong arguments to back up the hype. With the aviation policy due to start some time in the next few months, the Standard appears to be putting all its effort into changing the climate of opinion in London, by this rather unsubtle publicity drive. Who is paying for it? Who is behind it? Why is no other point of view being put? All rather suspicious. Not a sign of a well edited newspaper. And some of the economic claims are pretty laughable. But the Standard got Boris re-elected, so they hope they can work their magic again on the runway issue ...
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Mark Reckless MP to talk to Cameron on environmental devastation of an estuary airport
David Cameron has finally agreed to face-to-face talks with MP Mark Reckless (Rochester and Strood) on the concept of a Thames estuary airport. It has taken 4 months for him to get this meeting. Mr Reckless said he would tell the PM an airport would bring “environmental devastation” and that the economics of it don’t stack up because of the cost. This is a view echoed by wildlife groups and Medway Council – an area which would bear the brunt of the effects of the massive project.
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China set to overtake US become world’s biggest business travel market by 2015
China is expected to become the biggest market for business travel in 3 years. A recent study shows corporate travel [domestic and international] spending in China may rise by 17% to $202 billion this year and by another 21% to $245 billion next year. China is currently 2nd behind the US in terms of business travel spending with a total of $182 billion in 2011 compared to $250 billion in the US. The UK is ranked 4th globally for [business] travel spending at $38 billion with Japan in third position at $65 billion. China's international outbound business travel spending will increase by 27% next year. While the total amount spent is expected to surpass the US by 2015 as China continues its strong growth. No wonder the UK airports all want to get their hands on the Chinese passengers.
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IATA very excited about huge increase in Chinese aviation
China is now 2nd in the world for domestic air passengers, 7th for international passengers and 4th for international cargo. China has 19% of the world's population. Chinese carriers handled about 290 million passengers in 2011, an 8.2% year-on-year increase - with perhaps a 10% rise expected in 2012? Globally, IATA expects that: "Of the 877 million additional global air travelers expected to fly in 2015 than in 2010, more than 212 million will be on journeys within or connected to China.” Beijing Airport now has the 2nd highest number of passengers in the world (after Atlanta). IATA wants Beijing Airport to expand further, into an even more massive hub, or else for the Chinese to build a second huge hub airport. China is looking to increase its share of world trade from 10.4% to 15% and IATA thinks aviation connectivity will be critical to making that happen.
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Ryanair profit up 25% last year, but it might make significantly lower profits this year
Ryanair has warned of an impending storm that will hammer the aviation industry as surging fuel costs meet suppressed passenger demand. The airline has shown profit growth of at least 25% every year since 2009, but has admitted its profit will fall by up to 20% in the coming year. Michael O'Leary said: “We expect recession, austerity, currency concerns, and lower fares at new and growing bases in Hungary, Poland, provincial UK, and Spain to make it difficult to repeat this year’s results. We expect that any increase in fares will only partially offset higher fuel costs.” Ryanair said that higher oil prices next winter mean it will ground up to 80 aircraft – as it did for the first time last year – “rather than suffer losses flying at very low winter yields”. IATA has forecast that European airlines will collectively lose €600 million this year.
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Theresa Villiers: BAA free to make case for 3rd Heathrow runway. But adds “the commercial interest of BAA …. is not necessarily the same as the economic needs of the overall economy”
Theresa Villiers has confirmed that Heathrow may argue its case for another runway during the forthcoming aviation consultation. She told the FT that "of course we’ll consider their representations and the evidence they submit.” She also said the government had to balance the needs of the economy with concerns about the environmental impact of aviation. And also - very tellingly - that: "The commercial interest of BAA is one thing – it’s not necessarily the same as the economic needs of the overall economy. We have a wider picture to look at.” For far too long it has been generally assumed that what is good for BAA and the airlines is necessarily good for the rest of us. It is a relief that this government has seen through the spin, and is not persuaded by the arguments, which the aviation industry never backs up with hard facts.
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8 Chinese airlines and 2 Indian still hold out against complying with the EU ETS
Chinese airlines have confirimed that they still support their government’s opposition to the ETS. Chinese airlines will continue to oppose the ETS despite the EU's warning that it might take punitive measures in response. The Chinese airlines say they will not comply with the system unless ordered to do so by their government. Eight Chinese airlines, along with two from India have not submitted 2011 carbon emission data to the EU yet, whereas 1,200 carriers have. The Chinese say the airlines that are not complying could be fined or even banned from flying to Europe.
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Despite focus on reducing CO2, aircraft noise remains the key environmental concern for airports
In a long article by GreenAir online, reporting on a recent UK Air Operators Association (AOA) Environment conference in London, cover many airport issues - but chiefly noise. There are a few important comments, such as: Kate Jennings, Head of Aviation Policy Implementation at the DfT, said the frequency of flights had gone up and that was the source of most complaints by people living around airports. She said airport noise contours – the noise footprint – were useful but didn’t necessarily reflect public perception on the ground,and we need better ways of capturing noise metrics that address how the public feel about aircraft noise. Also that while there was every incentive for aircraft manufacturers to reduce emissions, the incentive to reduce noise was not so straightforward. Also, it is not possible to forecast the world’s aircraft fleet up to 2050 to predict the noise footprint of the future
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ABTA claims Brits spend on average £523 each before their foreign holidays ?
The Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA) has produced some research that makes out that encouraging millions of Brits to take their holidays abroad is of major net benefit to the UK economy (rather than a drain on it), because of all the stuff they buy before their hols. The study – conducted by the Centre for Economics and Business Research (Cebr) – unveils that British holidaymakers spend an average £532 each on services and products for their trip before they even leave the country. Total, £31.2 billion is spent every year in the country on foreign planning and preparing a holiday, which is about the same as holidaymakers spend while they are away – £31.6 billion. This includes the cost of transport to and from the airport and the flights to leave the UK (not much help if it is on Ryanair or a foreign airline). The outbound sector makes a great contribution to UK employment as well, with 624,920 directly employed by the sector and another 1.26 million working in the wider economy. This of course ignores the downside: the money taken out of the country, the loss of tourism jobs in the UK from fewer trips within the UK, the loss of all the economic benefit that would create ........ etc etc.
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John Stewart banned from USA – probably for life. For opposing Heathrow expansion.
A vote taking place in the European Parliament today is set to approve the Liese report on including aviation in the EU's ETS. Commenting on the likely outcome of the vote, Green MEP and shadow rapporteur Dr Caroline Lucas said the agreement will represent a small step in the right direction, but a truly missed opportunity compared to what should have been achieved. (Caroline Lucas)
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Passenger downturn prompts slump in Prestwick airport’s valuation
Passenger numbers at Prestwick in 2011 half the level of 2007. There were 1.2 million passengers in 2011. This fall in passengers has greatly reduced the price of the airport, which Infratil is trying to sell. Financial figures put the value of Prestwick and Kent Manston airports at £33 million ($64.7 million), down from £44m a year ago. Prestwick and Manston contributed an after-tax loss of $37.4 million (£17.9 million) in the year. Both airports were put on the market in March after Infratil said they were not performing. A buyer has yet to be identified for Prestwick. One reason for the slump of passenger numbers to the lowest level in a decade is the decision by Ryanair to focus growth at Edinburgh airport. Aviation analysts have questioned whether Prestwick would be able to recover from the decline that began late in 2008. It has long been reliant almost entirely on services offered by Ryanair.
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Berlin Brandenburg Airport opening date postponed – till March 2013
The new Berlin Brandenburg (Willie Brandt) airport will not now open till March 2013. It had been due to open in June 2012, and was postponed recently until August 2012. The problem appears be the fire safety system. The airport can only commence operations with a fully automated fire safety and control system as originally planned, and the interim solution of a partly automated system will not be allowed. This will take until December 2012. In addition, the risk would be too high to move the airport in winter due to adverse weather leading to operational restrictions. The Managing Director Operations, responsible for the construction of the airport, will have to leave the company. Keeping open the two older Berlin airports that this one will replace will cost about €15 million a month.
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Aviation biofuel hype in the Guardian – by a lobbyist for agribusiness and biofuel
Ben Caldecott, who is - surprisingly and depressingly - a trustee of the Green Alliance, has written in the Guardian of his support for biofuels as the future for aviation. This appears to be a re-hash of an article he did almost three years ago, and does not appear to take on board the serious reservations there are now about the environmental, climate and social impacts of biofuels. He proposes that air travel will need to expand for business and pleasure, and biofuels will solve the aviation industry's problem. He says, without ever mentioning which biofuel he is considering, and where they will come from, that key airports like Heathrow, Dubai, New York and Hong Kong will need to be using fuel contining an increasing amount of biofuel. It turns out that he works for an organisation that has just been taken over by a big agribusiness and biofuels company. And the Committee on Climate Change expects at the most 10% aviation biofuel by 2050.
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Heathrow ‘Operational Freedoms’ trials to be extended by 6 months – with surprise change to night flights
Theresa Villiers has agreed to significant changes to the second phase of operational trials at Heathrow. As well as the 6 month extension, Air Traffic Control will be allowed to vary the routes some planes take on departure. And, in a surprise move, the trials will also allow some aircraft currently scheduled to arrive after 0600 to land between 0530 and 0600 provided that the same number of flights scheduled to arrive between 0430 and 0500 are rescheduled to after 0500. She stressed that the trials would result in no overall increase in the number of planes using Heathrow each day. HACAN is surprised by the extent of the changes which have been made to the second phase of the trial. "The big concern of local people is that they will lose their half day’s break from the noise. It is this which makes life bearable for so many people. There will also be a lot of anger that more flights are being allowed before six in the morning”.
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EU hails airline emissions tax success
TMore than 99% (1,200) of all major global airlines have complied with the first step of the EU ETS. After the howls of protest from a range of countries, now virtually all submitted the required baseline emissions data for 2011. Only eight Chinese airlines and two Indian ones did not comply by the 31 March deadline. Connie Hedegaard, the European commissioner for climate action, said that these represent just 3% of aviation emissions. Hedegaard said the EU was currently negotiating with China on whether equivalent measures could be put in place by the Chinese authorities, which the EU would find acceptable. But the slight reduction in ETS carbon emissions last year happened due to the recession, not due to the ETS. Sandbag said the massive oversupply of carbon allowances that threaten to haunt the system until 2020.
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“Operational freedoms” trial at Heathrow to be extended by 6 months to March 2013
The trial that was originally planned for three months over the summer from 1st July is now to be extended to March 2013. It also looks as if there will be more early morning landings between 0500 and 0600 in exchange for fewer between 0430 and 0500. Theresa Villiers' statement says: "Aircraft scheduled to arrive after 0600 will be permitted to land between 0530 and 0600 provided that the same number of flights scheduled to arrive between 0430 and 0500 are rescheduled to after 0500. This is expected to delay the onset of noise disturbance to local communities in the early morning period and enhance the resilience of the schedule". Also departing aircraft may be re-directed (radar vectored) by air traffic control from their normal routes of departure. And the cap on the more flexible use of dual arrivals allowed as part of the trial will be raised from 6 to 12 per hour.
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Earth’s environment getting worse, not better, says WWF ahead of Rio+20
A new report from WWF called "Living Planet" says that 20 years on from the Rio Earth summit, the environment of the planet is getting worse not better. There is swelling human population, mass migration to cities, increasing energy use and soaring CO2 emissions which mean humanity is putting a greater squeeze on the planet's resources then ever before. Particularly hard hit is the diversity of animals and plants. The report estimates that global demand for natural resources has doubled since 1996 and that it now takes 1.5 years to regenerate the renewable resources used in one year by humans. It takes 18 months for the planet to remove the CO2 produced in one year. By 2030, the report predicts it will take the equivalent of 2 planets to meet the current demand for resources. And the trend is getting worse, fast. Little is being done to slow the rate of damage.
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Airlines ‘are conforming’ with EU rules on emissions
The figures suggest opposition to the EU airline charge is melting away, except in India and China. The EC says the vast majority of airlines have conformed with EU rules on reporting CO2 emissions. The EU required airlines to report by March 2012 on 2011 emissions as a "dry run"; all did, bar 10 from China and India. The EU has asked the 10 airlines that have not yet submitted figures to do so by mid June. Failure to comply would mean an airline would pay a penalty of €100 / tonne of CO2 emitted, and a ban from EU airspace if they refuse to pay. In March 2013, the emissions they report will enter the ETS. The issue at present is controversial, with China telling airlines not to take part and US firms mounting a legal challenge. The ETS will add only about $3 to the price of a trans-Atlantic flight. In February, 23 countries that had debated whether to challenge the legality of the EU move under the Chicago Convention decided not to press ahead.
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Eurostar’s bid to expand across Europe
Eurostar is looking at expansion out of London, adding up to 10 destinations to four European countries over the next five years. According to the Financial Times, the train operator is looking to run services from St Pancras in London to the Netherlands, Germany, southern France and Switzerland.This would be a direct challenge to airlines which have seen flights between London, Paris and Brussels severely hampered since the introduction of the train service in 1994.
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Here is a classic bit of BAA lobbying, spinning the standard “Heathrow must be expanded” line
This is an article in the Evening Standard, which seems to have just taken the BAA publicity, amplified it somewhat, and re-hashed it. There is a lot of this stuff about, all the proponents of massive London airport expansion working themselves up to fever pitch of self righteousness and pro-expansion propaganda. They capitalise on people’s fear of economic failure and recession, and exaggerate nervousness about Britain not having the biggest and best and failing to out-do all the financial competition. It contains statement after statement, with no offer to back these up with facts. As usual, the key logical fallacy is in confounding the self interest of the aviation industry, and BAA, with the interest of the nation. The two are separate. The government sometimes appears to realise this, but the aviation industry has succeeded for far too long with propaganda that peddles the misapprehension that economic growth depends on more air travel. It does not.
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Oil prices could double by 2022, IMF warned
A report produced for the IMF says there could be a permanent doubling of oil prices in the coming decade with profound implications for global trade. The new "working paper" comes after the IEA reported that oil consumption would accelerate for the rest of this year in line with a wider economic recovery. The report presumes that extraction rates will depend on the price that will be able to be charged for the final product, rather than that actual physical availability is constrained. The report predicts small further increases in world oil production coming at the expense of a near doubling, permanently, of real oil prices over the coming decade. Meanwhile OPEC says the price of oil in 2012 will stay high due to Iran, and that the period of decline in oil demand is now over, and the upward trajectory is being resumed.
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Manston Airport night flights opposed by Thanet Council
Proposals for limited nighttime flying at Manston Airport in Kent are to be opposed by Thanet District Council. Members of the cabinet agreed the potential economic benefits had been over-estimated and noise disturbance under-estimated. Council leader Clive Hart said a public consultation had "clearly demonstrated" a large number of residents (73%) were against flights operating between 23:00 and 07:00 BST. The cabinet's recommendation will now go to full council to be debated on 24th May. Mr Hart said: "Encouraging regeneration in Thanet and supporting local businesses is vital to the success of the area, but this can't come at any cost." The airport claims night flights are needed so it can become a viable airport, which Infratil are currently trying to sell. The airport will take the views of TDC into account in their decision on night flights. The local MP, Roger Gale, is vehemently in favour of the night flights.
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Nantes airport building plans, set back by 2 years by the hunger strike
The hunger strike at Nantes, against the Projet d' aéroport du Grand Ouest, Notre-Dame-des-Landes, ended last week. Now the legal procedures continue, against compulsory purchase of land from farmers and others living in the site, some 30 km north of Nantes, where the airport would be sited and where work would have soon started. The Mayor of Nantes, Jean-Marc Ayrault, had been a keen supporter of the airport for years. He is still very much in favour of it. There is bitterness that he did not once visit the hunger strike over its 28 days, until pressure was put on him by Francoise Hollande's office to meet one of the campaign. The planned airport would be the main airport for Western France and have up to 9 million passengers per year eventually (current airport has 3 million passengers).
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Drop in Edinburgh airport passengers amid issues with Ryanair and bmibaby
Passenger numbers at Edinburgh Airport have fallen amid a running dispute with Ryanair and uncertainty over the future of BMI. Terminal traffic for the first 4 months of 2012 are down 2% compared to the same period last year. The airport is fighting Ryanair on terms of a deal on landing charges, and because of that, Ryanair has scrapped 13 routes. It will probably cut more. Bmibaby, which hosts many regional flights around the UK, is set to close in September, with some routes being axed from next month. Edinburgh was recently sold to Global Infrastructure Partners for £807.2 million. Edinburgh saw record traffic of 9.4 million in 2011.
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