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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:
Boris Johnson’s London Assemby colleague calls – again – “for Heathwick”, a 4 runway virtual airport
A 4 runway airport? That means a second runway at Gatwick too. Lady Victoria Borwick, a GLA member who has twice stood for the London mayoral elections, has again put forward her hopes for a "four runway virtual hub" - which means the discredited "Heathwick" scheme. That would involve a high speed rail link cut between Heathrow and Gatwick. Gatwick Airport Ltd itself has said A “virtual” hub makes no sense …. The airside to airside transfer times, and the difficulties with baggage, will make it deeply unattractive to travellers. Why transfer through such a hub when it can be done so much more easily at a number of airports in Europe?" The idea of Heathwick fails because of a number of key and insuperable problems such as if deep-bored, it would be vastly expensive for little benefit; if not deep-bored it would do huge environmental damage. And other reasons. Perhaps Lady Borwick has not done her research.
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Letter from Brian Ross (of Stop Stansted Expansion) in the Standard
Brian Ross writes that the aviation industry conflates its own interests with the interests of UK plc. hiding some inconvenient truths. By comparison with the UK, Japan with twice our population achieves twice our GDP with far less airport capacity. The reason being that less than a quarter of UK passengers are business travellers. Heathrow flies more holidaymakers to Miami than business people to China, and more passengers to Nice than to either Beijing or Shanghai. London airports last year handled 134 million passengers with more than 500 worldwide destinations direct. No other city in the world comes close to that level of capacity and connectivity. Government is right to stick to its election promise of no more runways at Heathrow, Stansted and Gatwick. And the industry should stop trying to re-open yesterday's arguments.
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IAG purchase of BMI will not be reviewed by OFT
The OFT has decided not to review IAG's deal to buy BMI from Lufthansa, so the decision on whether to approve the deal will remain with the European Commission., Virgin Atlantic earlier lodged a formal complaint about the merger with the Commission, which has until 16 March to decide, although the deadline may be extended. The Virgin complaint alleged the deal would create a monopoly for British Airways on some routes between Heathrow and Scotland and north-western England. Virgin says passengers could face higher fares and reduced services linking the North West, Scotland and Heathrow if BA takes over BMI. Virgin - which also bid for BMI - has also complained that the deal would give IAG a dominant position at Heathrow.
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Greater Thames Marshes becomes a Defra Nature Improvement Area
At the end of February DEFRA announced the formation of 12 new Nature Improvement Areas (NIAs) across the country. NIA is the new name for Nature Restoration Zones proposed by the Making Space for Nature Review. This aims to achieve a coherent and robust ecological network that would be capable of responding to the challenges of climate change and other pressures. One of the 21 NIAs is the Greater Thames Marshes NIA, and its area covers almost all of the estuary, on the north and south banks, including all the areas where a Thames estuary airport might be located. Each NIA will get money from government to create wildlife havens, restore habitats and encourage local people to get involved with nature. Maria Eagle yesterday went to visit the area.
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Unions and industry join forces to push Heathrow third runway
BAA has commissioned a study from Oxford Economics (not part of Oxford University) to look at the economics of expanding Heathrow. The study has not been made publicly available. It apparently claims that the UK could lose 141,000 jobs per year by 2012 through some very convoluted calculations, taking absolutely every possible job vaguely related throughout the UK. They claim that if Heathrow is constrained, "capacity constraints will cost the UK £4.5bn in GDP from foreign investment and £1.6bn in lost trade with emerging markets per year by 2021" (unless there is a new runway ??) Basically they are lobbying for a 3rd Heathrow runway, and to hell with its environmental impacts. The report is enthusiastically backed by Unite and the GMB, and by the Institute of Directors. When experts analyse the report in detail, it is likely that the claims will be shown to be greatly exaggerated, and ignore costs it is inconvenient to include.
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Shadow minister Maria Eagle ‘dubious’ about Thames Estuary airport plans
The shadow transport secretary, Maria Eagle, said she is "very dubious" about the idea of building an airport in the Thames Estuary. Speaking on a visit to Medway, she claimed the idea was a "distraction" from addressing the need for something to do be done about aviation capacity in the short term. She made the comments during a visit to the Isle of Grain, which would cease to exist under Foster's airport plan. The Kent Messenger group thinks the government consultation on future aviation policy could be announced on Tuesday, March 13. Maria Eagle repeated her calls for a cross-party consensus on the issue, which she feels is important and is waiting for talks on this with Justine Greening. She agrees a new Heathrow runway is not a practical reality.
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Opening of Southend Airport’s new terminal and runway extension
On 5th March Southend held its official opening of its new terminal building, and of its runway extension that is now completed. Local opponents fought a long and hard battle against the runway extension. At present the airport has just one destination airport - Waterford in Ireland. On 2nd April, easyJet flights to bucket-and-spade Spanish destinations start (Malaga, Ibiza and Mallorca) taking tourists and their money out of the UK. There will be 20-30 passenger daily flights this year, but Stobart hopes to eventually carry up to 2 million passengers annually and plans to extend the terminal further this summer. easyJet came to Southend due to cheaper landing charges than at Stansted. Some passengers will find the empty terminal and the easy train journey from London's Liverpool Street easier than a trip to Stansted or Luton. Alistair Welch, the CEO, says he expects there to be 500 jobs created at the airport this year. 500?
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IMO meeting concludes without agreement on market-based measures on shipping emissions
A conference of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) has ended, with little progress on deciding how to deal with shipping carbon emissions. There was agreement that something should be done, but not what. Instead of progress, talks got mired in technical detail. Proposals including a levy on bunker fuel or a global emissions trading scheme remained on the table and would be addressed again at the next IMO meeting in early October. The EU is threatening to bring shipping into its ETS if there is no progress. Brussels published a consultation on four policy options, including a compensation fund, an emissions trading system, a fuel or carbon tax and a mandatory emission reduction per ship.This ends in April and is due to be followed by an impact assessment, a draft proposal sometime between April and June and a final proposal in the last three months of the year.
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How many flights does Heathrow actually have to the emerging economies?
There have been letters in the Sunday Times and in the Sunday Telegraph from lists of business people, in support of airport expansion in the south east, and demanding reconsideration of a third runway at Heathrow. They claim that Heathrow is lagging behind Schiphol, Paris Charles de Gaulle and Frankfurt airport in the number of flights to the emerging and rapidly growing economies. And that therefore the UK will be condemned to an economic backwater if vast amounts of concrete are not poured, and another runway is not provided. But what is the actual situation? Are there really not enough flights to emerging economies from Heathrow? Are the numbers to some destinations low just because there really is not the demand (however much UK business might like there to be the demand)? We investigate what flights there really are from Heathrow already.
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“London First” gets their letter, signed by over 40 business people, in the Sunday Times
This is a second letter, this time in the Sunday Times, with a load of business people adding their voice to the lobby group, London First. They are asking Justine Greening to include Heathrow in the forthcoming aviation consultation. What they really want is a third runway at Heathrow. If needs be, they say extra noise from a new Heathrow runway or Heathrow expansion should be mitigated. The myth is again pushed that - in some unexplained way - the UK will suffer economically if there are not enough direct flights to China. There is never any evidence presented to back this up. In reality, Heathrow has excellent connections to the world. Where there are few flights to a destination, it is because there is not enough demand. Many of Heathrow's flights are predominantly filled with leisure travellers, eg. the approximately 21 flights per day to Miami from Heathrow.
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Pressure mounts over side-effects of biofuel
Two new studies are due out soon on the failure of biofuels to cut carbon emissions. Studies find that taking the ILUC ( Indirect Land Use Change ) effects into account, biofuels - especially biodiesel - is often worse that fossil fuel, and if there are savings, they are small. The EU has assumed, for its road transport biofuel policies, that biofuels can help cut road transport carbon emissions by 60% by 2050. They cannot. One study says some biofuels are "so bad for the environment that its benefits cannot even be calculated." The other that the savings are small and will not deliver the carbon savings sought.
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BAA “fighting yesterday’s battles with the day before’s arguments” in an attempt to revive Heathrow Third Runway
On March 6th BAA is expected to release a report it commissioned from Oxford Economics which will argue that the UK risks losing trade and inward investment if Heathrow does not expand. The report seeks to influence the Government’s draft aviation strategy which is expected to go out to public consultation towards the end of this month. HACAN says there is no compelling economic case for a third runway at Heathrow. BAA will not accept that the current Government rejected both the environmental and economic case for Heathrow expansion. It’s a sign of its desperation that it has wheeled out Oxford Economics to do the report. These were the consultants who provided the economic basis for the now discredited 2003 Air Transport White Paper.
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Letter from business people in Sunday Telegraph lobbying for airport expansion
A group of business people from the business world, some from large organisations and some from apparently tiny ones, have written an open letter published in the Sunday Telegraph, on airport capacity. This letter is part of a campaign by the aviation industry and its supporters, in the run up to the start of the government consultation on future UK aviation policy that starts at the end of this month. There will be many more of these publicity grabs this month, and in the months to come. The letter reiterates the myth that the UK will somehow sink to being an economic backwater if the south east does not have an extra runway, if there is not a larger hub for flights to China etc etc. What is interesting is that repeatedly the industry does not appear to have any actual statistics to back up their claims. Self interest, rather than the wider good, appears to be the underlying motive.
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Airport protests against expansion are breaking out across Germany
John Stewart, who has just returned from a trip to Germany to visit many of the groups actively involved in campaigning against new runways, writes about his trip. He says protests are breaking out across Germany, following the large and energetic protests by thousands of articulate and law-abiding citizens that have been taking place each Monday evening at Frankfurt. There will be a national day of action on Saturday 24th March, with protests at Frankfurt, Munich, Berlin, Leipzig, Dusselforf and Cologne. The causes of the protests tend to differ from city to city but the scale and intensity of them has shocked the authorities. They are being widely covered in the German media. Residents around Frankfurt's new runway are particularly angry at the way they believe they were misled about the new flight paths and the noise of the planes. The big concern at Cologne and Leipzig appears to be night flights. At Munich a new runway is planned, and there is impressively organised opposition.
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“Fair Tax on Flying” – the aviation industry lobby group – is complaining about APD, yet again
Fair Tax on Flying is at it again. They are resurrecting their rather unsuccessful , and entirely self-serving, campaign last year, to lobby government to cut Air Passenger Duty. The campaign's members are all airlines, airports, travel companies that make their money out of people flying, and the more passengers they get, the happier they are. There are the usual claims about how catastrophic the tax is for the UK economy, (£13 for a return flight to anywhere in Europe), rising to higher levels for longer flights. Their rather unsuccessful Facebook page is back in use. Bit like deja vu. They did just about the same thing last March, with little effect on the Chancellor. In effect, the aviation industry is under-taxed, even with APD. The industry pays no VAT and no fuel tax, unlike road vehicles. This huge subsidy (the benefits the aviation industry by around £9 billion per year in the UK) effectively distorts the travel market, and deprives the Exchequer of revenue needed for public services for UK citizens.
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Munich could become a German Heathrow if local opposition manages to block 3rd runway plans
John Stewart and some other campaigners recently visited Germany, to see the current protests against airport expansion there. John has written about their visit. He says campaigners are getting organised to oppose the planned building of a new 3rd runway at Munich. The case for a new runway there is weak because the existing runways are nowhere near capacity, most of the flights from Munich are domestic so could transfer to rail, and there is very low unemployment in the area. Visiting Frankfurt, they attended one of the regular Monday evening protests. The movement there driven by the concern about climate change, have brought together a first-rate coalition of environmental activists, local residents, sympathetic politicians and academic experts. They are a considerable force to be reckoned with.
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Manchester airport to help unemployed find work, but MAG jobs increases are not impressive
Manchester Airport has opened an academy to help unemployed people in Greater Manchester to get jobs in the travel trade. The training is being provided by tutors from Stockport College and is designed for the airport environment, making it one of the first projects of its kind in the world. They are given help with their CVs and presentation skills, with potential employers – ranging from airlines to shops based in the terminals – visiting the academy to interview the students when they have vacancies at the airport. Which is all lovely and very helpful. However, Manchester Airports Group Annual Report for 2010/2011 shows they only employed 16 more staff in 2011 than in 2010 (2,591 compared to 2,575). The number of extra staff at Manchester airport was 32, which was a rise of 1.6% while Manchester Airport's number of passengers went up by 6.5%. Staff increases don't keep pace with passenger increases, at MAG or at other UK airports.
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Bmi to be ‘integrated quickly’ into British Airways
British Airways owner IAG has agreed a binding deal to buy BMI from Lufthansa - including their 56 slots (8.5% of Heathrow's total) at Heathrow - for £172.5m, but has warned the deal could lead to job losses. Virgin opposes the take over, as they also wanted to buy BMI. BMI now employs more than 3,600 staff, but reported a £153m loss in the year to 2010. IAG and Lufthansa have agreed a purchase price of £172.5 million, but this is subject to heavy price reduction if Lufthansa does not choose to sell its budget arm BMIbaby before completion of the sale. The deal remains subject to clearance by competition bodies.
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Chinese plans to double aviation fuel use by 2020 and have 30% of it biofuel
China is expected to use 12 million metric tonnes of aviation biofuels per year by 2020, which the China CAA says will account for 30% of the country’s total use of jet fuel (which is about 20 million metric tonnes per year now, rising up to 40 million by 2020), according to the deputy director of the Civil Aviation Administration of China. He says the EU ETS will prompt China to develop jet biofuels, which will be put into wide commercial use before 2020, when the country is expected to be using more than 40 million metric tonnes of jet fuel a year. China now wants to produce the biofuel more cheaply. The fuel is entirely, or largely, from jatropha. By 2020 the Civil Aviation Administration of China wants to improve energy efficiency and reduce emissions of greenhouse gas by 22% below what they were in 2005 - per passenger kilometer (not in total). With rapidly growing passenger numbers, there will be a net increase (almost a doubling?) in carbon emissions by 2020. The fuel is entirely, or largely, from jatropha.
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Willie Walsh makes yet another attempt to get APD cut, this time using the Olympics as the excuse
Willie Walsh has used the occasion of the IAG Full Year Results for 2011 as a justification for not only a stab at intimidating the government to rethink its rejection of a third runway at Heathrow, but also to have another go at APD. He claims, using some slightly questionable figures, that APD will cut the number of Olympic visitors (has he seen the way London hoteliers have hiked their prices in order to profiteer during the Games?) and that APD will reduce the number of extra staff BA or IAG employ this year. He claims - or implies - that IAG would employ an extra 800 staff this year ..... (they only employed an extra 228 staff in 2011 when profits increased 5 fold) but can only employ 400 instead. The figure of 400 is not backed up by any evidence. He also claims BA's unit fuel costs rose 21% in 2011. IATA data on jet fuel price showed it was at most a 17.8% increase.
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BA to increase ticket prices due to rise in cost of oil, and expect fewer business passengers during Olympics
BA says it will increase its ticket price this year, due to the rising price of oil. IAG had paid 29% more for fuel in 2011 than in 2010, paying £4.2billion. This had caused IAG to raise passenger fares by up to 3.5%. Willie Walsh said the price of oil had "gone beyond spikes now. We are seeing a big structural shift in the cost of oil,” and predicted an extra £1billion rise in its fuel bill this year, resulting in further fare rises. He claims APD will cut the number of staff the airlines will take on - with no figures to back up this claim. BA expects profits to be lower during the Olympics, as business travellers will reschedule to avoid the Olympics. "Though the Games will be positive for the long-term position of London as a global destination, experience in other host cities suggests that demand could be dampened."
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Willie Walsh, Head of IAG, wants government to rethink their rejection of Heathrow 3rd runway
The FT reports that Willie Walsh, head of IAG, has challenged the government to review its decision not to allow a third runway at Heathrow. He wants a major hub with 4 runways eventually. BAA claims the UK could miss out on trade worth at least £14bn over the next decade because Heathrow is operating close to its maximum capacity. Andrew Haines, chief executive of the CAA, says an estuary airport with all the necessary extra new infrastructure would probably not be viable without state subsidy. If there was no subsidy, airports would need to charge much higher landing fees, in order to pay for the new airport building, and this would be opposed by airlines, and increase ticket prices. NATS is concerned that both Heathrow and an estuary airport cannot be in use at the same time, due to flight path problems.
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Several articles on climate change and its impact on sea acidity, Antarctica, glaciers
Several recent stories about climate change reveal that the rate of ocean acidification is speeding up, due to increased CO2 in the atmosphere creating carbonic acid in oceans, making their pH lower. The pH is currently dropping by about 0.1 per century. This ocean acidification harms organisms such as corals that rely on dissolved carbonate to make their shells. NASA has observed a massive new crack in the Antarctic ice shelf, which will eventually produce a vast 900 square metre iceburg, though it may not be calved off this year. Attempts to determine whether the Antarctic is losing ice have produced some conflicting data, but recent reports agree that the ice sheet is losing ice – and indeed that the rate of loss has been speeding up. The ice loss is largely in the Western Antarctica, particularly around the Antarctic Peninsula.
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Planning applications at Southend Airport, including terminal extension and new carpark
There are currently three airport-related planning applications being considered relating to Southend Airport. A proposed extension to the brand new terminal is Phase 2, and would see the terminal building becoming 90 metres longer. The number of check in desks / baggage drop off points will increase, as will the amount of security screening channels. The Departure Lounge and the Arrivals area will be enlarged. Also an enhanced baggage reclaim facilities, a larger immigration area, and more retail and catering. There is also a speculative application by a local builder, to make money out of his land as a car park. And it has been noticed that Stansted staff are needing homes to rent, while being relocated to Southend. So much for more local jobs.
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BAA LAUNCHES YET ANOTHER APPEAL OVER STANSTED
BAA has announced that it has initiated appeal proceedings against the Competition Appeal Tribunal's judgment of 1 February 2012, upholding the Competition Commission's ruling that BAA must sell Stansted Airport. This means that the uncertainty over the future ownership of Stansted Airport is set to continue for at least another six months. Once again, BAA has waited until the very last day before lodging its appeal – just a few hours before the deadline.
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Birmingham Airport runway extension gets final green light
The final obstacle to Birmingham Airport’s runway extension project has been removed as shareholders gave the go-ahead to the £65m scheme. The 400 metre extension will give the airport the ability to offer long-haul flights to Asia and the US west coast. A long-awaited shareholders' meeting signed off the airport's business case for the scheme. Birmingham hopes to fly to business and leisure destinations such as China, South Africa and the west coast of America directly once its runway extension is built. The start date for the work is not yet known. The government has said it will contribute £15.7m from the Regional Growth Fund towards the cost of diverting the A45 to make way for the runway extension. Regional passenger body Centro will contribute £10m towards the work.
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Even if people prefer a 3rd runway to Boris Island, it doesn’t mean they like either
An ICM poll commissioned by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, on attitudes to a third Heathrow runway, or an estuary airport, says that a 3rd runway was favoured by 25% of respondents, with 21% backing the new airport. When asked if they believed the Government was right to block Heathrow’s 3rd runway, 35% agreed while 32% thought it was the wrong decision. And it says "The Government needs to urgently rethink its decision to rule out any potential expansion at Heathrow, Gatwick or Stansted, which all offer more sensible and cost-effective alternatives". John Stewart writes that this poll is yet another attempt to avoid the real debate about whether any further airport capacity is required in the South East. It is part of a coordinated series of publications by the aviation industry and its allies intended to influence the government’s draft aviation policy due to go out to public consultation at the end of this month.
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IAG profits up. IAG employed 228 (0.4%) more staff last year with 2.1% passenger growth
IAG has reported an increase in annual pre-tax profits of €503m (£425.6m) in the year to December 2011, after a profit of €84m euros the year before. Revenue rose by 10% to €16.3bn, despite an increase in fuel costs of 29.7%. BA made use of the opportunity of announcing their results to complain - yet again - about Air Passenger Duty, saying it "was reducing by about half the number of new jobs it would create this year." With an increase of +2.1% in passengers last year, they only employed + 0.4% more staff - just 228 more. Not many. The industry routinely makes complaints about APD, which is all of £13 per outbound flight for a return journey to any European airport. APD is a charge put in place to compensate for the fact that the aviation pays no VAT and pays no duty on fuel, so in effect remains under taxed. As airlines add substantial charges much higher than APD for a range of other services, or just to cash in on popular times for journeys, such as half terms, this APD whinge needs to be taken with a big pinch of salt. Yet again.
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Russia threatens to cap EU flights over Siberia in protest at ETS
Russia has threatened to cap EU airline flights over Siberia as part of possible retaliatory measures approved by more than 20 countries at a recent meeting in Moscow. Valery Okulov, Russia’s deputy transport minister, said each country could choose whatever measure it wanted, in line with its own laws, to try to stop the EU including airlines in its ETS. He said Russia would look at limiting EU airlines’ use of routes over Siberia, and give preference instead to carriers from Japan, China and other Asian nations. "We are calling on the European Union to do whatever it takes to prevent a trade war," he said. "We intend to get EU’s carbon trading measures either cancelled or postponed."
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Global air passengers up + 5.7% in January compared to a year earlier
IATA says global international air passengers were up by +5.7% in January, compared to January 2011, which was itself up +8.2% on January 2010, and that was up + 6.4% on January 2009. Figures are slightly inflated by the Chinese New Year on 23 rd Jan. European carriers had a + 5.3% gain in passenger versus January 2011, which was lower than the +7.9% growth in January 2011, but higher than the +3.1% growth in January 2010. Globally airlines' capacity climbed 4.2%, resulting in a load factor of 76.6%, up from 75.7% in January 2011. Domestic passenger numbers were up +6.1% in January compared to Jan 2011, with strong demand in Brazil, China and India. The Chinese market now accounts for more than 21% of the total global domestic market.
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EU Parliamentary committee agrees set-aside measures for Emissions Trading System
A senior parliamentary committee of MEPs has agreed controversial measures to let the EU Commission cut the supply of carbon permits in the bloc’s ETS, in a bid to prop up CO2 prices lingering below €10. The industry committee of the EU Parliament passed an amendment to the Energy Efficiency Directive to allow the EC take measures by the end of the year that “may include withholding of the necessary amount of allowances” from the 2013-2020 phase of the EU carbon market. Before becoming law the bill still needs approval from the full Parliament and the Council of 27 environment ministers. Sandbag welcomed this move and said politicians must remove at least 1.4bn permits to get the market in carbon to work properly. "Today's vote is a significant step in that direction."
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All-business class luxury flights from Hong Kong to Gatwick start 8th March 2012
Kong Kong Airlines will start a business only flight from Hong Kong to Gatwick on 8th March. It will run three new Airbus A330-200s with just 116 seats - by way of comparison, Qantas' international versions of the same aircraft pack some 253 seats across both business and economy class. There will be 34 Club Premier 'suites' at the pointy end of the A330s with fully flat 1.8 metre (6'1") beds in a spacious 1-2-1 staggered layout. Further back are 82 Club Classic seats in a more conventional 'cradle' or recliner design, with a 1.3 metre (51 inch) seat pitch and 10.4" HD video screen in a still rather roomy 2-2-2 cabin layout. So not remotely fuel efficient. This is the airline that has come under fire from animal rights groups for profitably transporting live dolphins by air in cramped containers from Osaka to Hanoi.
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China plans to build world’s largest airport with 9 runways near Beijing
China plans to replace one of its Beijing airports with a new airport, with 9 runways, that will be the largest and busiest in the world, overtaking Atlanta. It will cost around $5 billion or more, and may open by October 2017. It will have the capacity to deal with 130 million passengers and 5,500,000 tonnes of cargo annually. By comparison the whole of the UK had around 222 million passengers in 2011. Beijing Nanyuan Airport nearby may close once the new airport in Daxing commences operations. There are reports that many airports in central and western China are losing money, though those in the east are doing better. The Chinese believe there is huge economic benefit from building, or enlarging airports, and even if the airport itself makes a loss.
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Clean Air in London resigns from stakeholder group after Government admits it has no intention of complying with air quality deadlines for NO2
Parliament’s Environmental Audit Committee (EAC) has published the Government’s response to its further inquiry into air quality. The EAC - members of which are MPs - expresses it’s ‘disappointment’ that Government disagrees with many of its recommendations. Government denies its approach is ‘business as usual’. Government admits it has no intention of complying with air quality laws for nitrogen dioxide (NO2) even by the extended compliance date of January 2015 which it says is ‘inadequate’. Caroline Spelman dismissed the EAC's advice, saying costs of meeting EU pollution goals do not match benefits. Clean Air in London says “Astonishingly, the Government makes crystal clear it has no intention of complying with legally binding deadlines for NO2 which have been in legislation since 1999 and required to be met by 2010." Heathrow contributes huge amounts of NOx, from planes and road traffic.
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Future planes may be able to use energy recovered from wheels braking on landing
Tomorrow's aircraft could contribute to their power needs by harnessing energy from the wheel rotation of their landing gear to generate electricity. They could use this to power their taxiing to and from airport buildings, reducing the need to use their jet engines. This would save on aviation fuel, cut emissions and reduce noise pollution at airports. The feasibility of this has been confirmed by a team of engineers from the University of Lincoln with funding from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council. 'Engine-less taxiing' could therefore become a reality. ACARE has made engine-less taxiing one of the key objectives beyond 2020 for the European aviation industry.
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New York Times editorial in support of ETS
New York Times editorial, supporting the EU ETS. It says the CO2 from airplanes accounts for about 3% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions, a share projected to go up as air traffic rises. And that Europe hopes it will avert any increase in emissions and lead to a modest drop, beginning with a 3 % cut this year compared with a 2004-6 baseline. And "passengers are not looking at charges much greater than what it now costs to check a single bag. This seems a small price to pay for encouraging more efficient airlines and beginning to address global warming."
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BA AND IBERIA IN PROFITS TAKE-OFF
IAG was formed in January 2011 by a merger between BA and Iberia. IAG says it has made greater than expected cost savings from the merger. It hopes to buy smaller airlines as the rising cost of fuel and the squeeze in consumer spending drives consolidation in the industry. It will shortly announce an operating profit estimated at €470 million (£398 million) this week, more than double the previous year’s combined earnings. The profits are 109% higher than 2010’s €225 million, and comes as the merger of the two airlines starts to take off. BA owner IAG wants to acquire more airlines and has tabled a £172.5 million bid for bmi, which has many take-off and landing slots at Heathrow. IAG is due to hear within weeks whether Brussels has cleared its takeover bid, and whether the OFT will order a competition inquiry. The airline group and bmi’s owner Lufthansa want to seal a deal by the end of March.
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Lydd Airport. Project runway: carving up the Kent marshes
In a long and comprehensive article in the Observer Magazine, Jamie Doward looks at the issues involved in proposed expansion of Lydd airport, to take up to 2 million passengers - a massive growth from its current, sleepy state with around 1,000 passenger per year. The area is of immense wildlife value, being a NNR, SSSI, SPA and SAC. A decision by government is due in about a fortnight. The article says: " If Pickles approves the airport's expansion he will be going against the government's adviser, Natural England, Shepway's planning officers, the majority of Lydd's residents, the scientific consensus on the need to reduce carbon emissions, the prime minister's perceived green credentials and the coalition's belief in empowering communities as enshrined in its much-vaunted localism act." If government does approve it, "The whole character of the place would change because, as studies show, airports lead to urbanisation."
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Luton Airport expansion plans spark birth of new campaign group, HALE
A new campaign group called "Hertfordshire Against Luton Expansion" (HALE) - has been formed by angry residents living under Luton Airport's flight paths, in response to Luton Borough Council's plans to create an airport potentially bigger than Stansted or Manchester on the already congested site. HALE is seeking to mobilise people's interest and awareness around Luton's expansion plans, because to double the amount of noise, traffic and flights will be unbearable. HALE held their first public meeting on 23rd February. Feelings are running high, and the airport's consultation is flimsy and inadequate, with insufficient information on almost all topics. HALE has researched noise figures and found that flights from Luton are getting noisier each year despite the myth that modern planes are quieter - the fact is that the fleets are getting larger, heavier and louder.
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EU bullish as opponents confirm aviation trade war threats
23 of the countries meeting in Moscow to oppose the ETS signed a joint agreement that sets out 8 "counter measures" that signatories could take to try to force the EU to ditch ETS plans. [6 of the signatories, Cameroon, Chile, Cuba, Guatemala, Paraguay, Uganda, have no carriers covered by the EU ETS]. The 23 countries would “consider” measures and actions if the EU failed to respond. Canada, Egypt and the UAE abstained from the final agreement. An earlier draft suggestion on re-opening existing wider trade agreements was dropped from the final text. EU data shows the ETS will have a negligible impact on ticket prices, adding €1.34 to the cost of a flight from London to New York or €0.76 to the cost of a flight from London to Moscow. Despite threats of trade wars and retaliation, the EU remains adamant it will not change or postpone its legislation.
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200 more biofuel flights by KLM using cooking oil – while Lufthansa using Indonesian jatropha
Friends of the Earth International say the German airline Lufthansa has recently been using biokerosene made from jatropha, an inedible plant. The airline claims that flying on biokerosene is good for the environment despite numerous studies claiming the opposite. The jatropha used for Lufthansa’s test flights is grown in Indonesia by small scale farmers. The jatropha plants are often being grown at the cost of food production - jatropha competes with food crops such as maize for land - and the farmers are making a loss on the sale of the plants, so are struggling to survive. FoEI is asking people to write to Lufthansa and ask them to stop using biokerosene to fly their planes. KLM is continuing with part biofuelled flights, 4 per week, using some biofuel from used cooking oil, between Schiphol and Paris.
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India, Russia oppose EU carbon tax
A meeting of 30 countries opposed to the ETS has taken place in Moscow. 29 of them, but not India, agreed a declaration listing 8 retaliatory steps against the EU unless it excludes their airlines from charges when flying to or from Europe. These measures include legal action, suspending talks with European carriers on new routes, reviewing bilateral service and open skies agreements with European countries and imposing retaliatory levies on EU airlines. They can choose whichever they want. Connie Hedegaard says Brussels would not suspend the ETS for aviation. The next meeting of the countries opposed to the ETS would be held in summer in Saudi Arabia. EU officials have said they may be willing to “moderate” their stance on ETS, if a deal for an equivalent global system can be reached through ICAO. Airlines do not need to buy their carbon permits until April 2013.
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Some non-food vegetable oil-based aviation biofuels could be cost-competitive by 2020
This GreenAir article says Bloomberg analysts think that while aviation will not use oils from palm, rape or soya on any scale, the industry may be able to source biofuels from non-food crops that are commercially viable, within years. They reckon that while conventional jet kerosene costs about $0.86 per litre now, jet fuel could be produced at $0.86/litre by 2018 if production of jatropha and camelina was scaled up, with pyrolysis of woody feedstock producing jet fuel at $0.90/litre at around the same time. Liquid fuels made using the Fischer-Tropsch process to convert woody biomass is unlikely to produce jet fuel cheaper than $2.60/litre in 2018. Large-scale, biofuel-producing algae farms will not appear this decade. However, available volume is going to be limited and airlines will be in competition for it. Costs of biofuel are currently very much higher than paying for ETS carbon permits.
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Flush with cash: British Airways saves £600,000 on fuel by descaling its toilet pipes
All sorts of ways in which airlines try to cut a bit of weight. BA is now descaling its toilet pipes to remove limescale etc and weight. Other ideas out of the 200 submitted by BA staff include replacing glass with plastic for wine bottles, reducing the volume of water tanks, washing engines more regularly, lighter catering trolleys and cargo containers and introduce lighter cutlery for business class passengers. Apart from weight reductions from cabin and equipment design, other things that airlines have tried is reducing the number of ice cubes and magazines, and even using electronic navigation charts rather than paper.
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BAA made a pre-tax loss of £256 million in 2011, and continues to press for 3rd Heathrow runway
BAA has announced a pre-tax loss of £256m for 2011, despite record traffic at Heathrow and a leap in revenues. The loss was £60m larger in 2010. Interest payments on its £10bn debt continued to drag its annual accounts into the red. BAA said they had more passengers,"who spent more freely in our retail and car parks." At Stansted passenger numbers continued to fall even on the disappointing 2010 figures, down to 18.0 million from 18.6 million. Heathrow saw passenger traffic hit a record 69.4m last year, up 5.5% on 2010 and 1.5m more than its previous record of 67.9m, set in 2007. BAA used the opportunity to push, yet again, for serious consideration to be given to a third Heathrow runway, which is what it really wants. With the aviation consultation starting next month, they are lobbying hard to get the 3rd runway into the options for consideration.
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Weak carbon price sees market analysts sharply downgrading forecasts of EU ETS cost to airlines in 2012
The current price of a tonne of CO2 is about €8-9. Therefore the cost of the ETS to airlines is very much lower than they had previously estimated, based on a higher carbon price. Point Carbon has calculated airlines covered by the scheme will have to pay around €500 million for the required permits to cover a potential shortfall of 59 million tonnes of CO2 this year, at an average estimated price of €8.50 per tonne. This may end up being even lower, at €300 million, which is described as a "drop in the ocean" compared to fuel. The carbon price will probably be low next year too. Non-EU airlines will be expected to pay for just a quarter of the total EU ETS aviation costs in 2012, or around €75 million of the €300 million overall cost. So Point Carbon estimates Chinese airlines will have to pay about €1.9 million in 2012, not hundreds of millions of €s. The cost per passenger for a trans-Atlantic flight is about €2-3, and a Barclays Capital analyst is quoted as saying "it is really hard to see what all the fuss is about".
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Doubt over Ryanair job loss claim as airline cuts Edinburgh routes
Ryanair says it is cutting one of its seven planes at Edinburgh airport, down to six. It said it is cutting 5 routes. However, one of those has already been suspended and 3 of the routes have not yet started - so hardly a cut if they aren't actually happening anyway. Ryanair also claims this will cause the loss of "up to 300 jobs". But in practice, Ryanair does not directly employ any staff at Edinburgh Airport, and BAA says the effect of one fewer aircraft would be minimal at an airport where its 485 employees deal with 9.3 million passengers every year. Edinburgh has become Ryanair's largest Scottish hub and its contract with Edinburgh is up for renewal in October so they story about the flight c uts is intended to put pressure on BAA to reduce their charges. Ryanair warned of "significant further cuts" if the new five year agreement "is not extended on more competitive terms".
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Editorial by Jos Dings, Director of T&E, on what ICAO needs to do on aviation emissions
Almost 15 years after Kyoto protocol assigned responsibility for dealing with aviation’s CO2 to ICAO, there is finally a sense of urgency. The EU has offered to exclude flights coming into Europe from the ETS if ICAO comes up with a global deal better than Europe’s initiative. T&E asks what would a credible global deal on aviation emissions look like? It would have to have three features: 1. A global market-based measure should be based on fuel use or emissions, not on the amount of passengers or freight. 2. It should reduce aviation emissions & substantially contribute to global climate finance. The current ETS price of €7/tonne CO2 fails. 3. It must work for vulnerable countries as well as for the climate. Some revenue could compensate poor countries for the impact of air travel & pay a global climate fund.
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What IATA said about emissions trading: 2012 compared to 2007 and 2001. In favour to against.
IATA now makes statements such as: "The European Union’s Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) aimed at reducing the carbon footprint of airlines, if successfully implemented, could erode more than 30 percent from the struggling industry’s profits". Back in 2007 they said: "Intra-EU flights are expected to face minor losses in the order of €51-109 million in 2012, because of their more price-sensitive passengers. The net financial impact on extra-EU flights may be slightly positive. However, the overall impact on the profitability of all flights arriving and departing the EU will be less than 0.5% of revenues which is little better than break-even." Transport & Environment had put together statements on a range of aspects fo the EU ETS, from 2012 and from earlier years, to demonstrate IATA's change of heart.
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Airbus urges EU to scrap biodiesel incentives for road transport
A senior Airbus executive has said that the EU should bin incentives for road-transport biodiesel or provide equal ones for the production of biokerosene used in airplanes. The target for renewable energy sources in transport for 2020 is now set at 10%, including biofuels, green electricity and other renewables. There is competition now between aviation and road transport for biofuels, but making biokerosene costs more than making biodiesel. Aviation claims it should be given priority, as it cannot use electricity. (Neither, realistically, can road transport for the foeseeable future). Airbus wants "a level playing field or the scrapping of incentives that cover the biodiesel industry.” EU and Member States spent approximately €3.1 billion on biofuel support in 2010.
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High-speed train safety questioned at 250mph – possibility of derailment
A Scottish academic – professor of railway geo-engineeering – has claimed the HS2 high-speed railway plans may suffer track failure and derailments if trains are allowed to travel on it at speeds of 250mph. Professor Peter Woodward of Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh said there is a risk the lines may not be able to cope with "new problems" thrown up by the higher speeds with times between London and Birmingham cut to 49 minutes. The speeds proposed for the £24 billion HS2 project could trigger "significant amplification of train-track vibrations". This may cause "rapid deterioration of the track, ballast and sub-ballast, including possible derailment and ground failure". Experts are worried about plans to run trains faster than any other line in the world, 225mph initially AND with a target speed is 250mph within a few years of opening in 2032.
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Environmental factors must be included in GDP, say scientists
A new paper to be presented to government ministers at a meeting of UNEP in Nairobi, says that countries must move beyond tracking economic growth using measures of gross domestic product (GDP) and incorporate environmental and social dimensions into a new measure of wealth if they are to avoid an escalating series of climate, biodiversity and poverty crises. The group will also call for the removal of fossil fuel subsidies, worth an estimated $409bn a year globally, as well as the end of support for traditional transport and agricultural methods that do not account for their environmental costs. Subsidies that often only benefit the better off. Caroline Spelman has said the UK will work to secure an assurance that all businesses and governments begin work to incorporate natural capital into their accounting practices, GDP+, at the Rio+20 conference later this year.
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Article in the Hindu asks “Why oppose a cleaner sky?”
This week, the representatives of 26 nations will meet in Moscow to decide what they're going to do about the EU ETS. Despite the very vocal opposition, legal challenges, and warnings of non-compliance, retaliatory action and a global trade war, the European Commission shows little sign of budging. Setting aside the fact that the objections are based on a convention that came into place nearly 70 years ago, when there was little recognition of climate change, a growing body of evidence appears to show that the costs will be far less onerous than the industry suggests. the EC's refusal to budge could finally spur the global community into action on aviation emissions. The head of the ICAO recently said that options were currently being drawn up, with a solution potentially being put to the assembly for consideration by late 2013.
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Concerns are raised by Luton’s operating company over airport growth plans by its owner
LUTON Airport’s operating company - London Luton Airport Operations Limited (LLAOL) - says it has a “number of concerns” over Luton Borough Council’s plans to expand the terminal and almost double passenger capacity. LLAOL, which has a 30-year contract to run the terminal for London Luton Airport Limited, raised several issues regarding the project’s feasibility, environmental impact and jobs, in the wake of the launch of a consultation into plans to expand the airport to 18 million passengers. LLAOL also issued a warning that airport owners would have to stump up a “very substantial” amount in severance payments if they decide to take advantage of a ‘break clause’ which would allow the 30-year contract to be scrapped in 2014.
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Manston Night Flights consultation – ends 2nd March
Thanet District Council is holding a public consultation, lasting for 28 days and ending on 2nd March. Its aim is to find out what the public think about Manston’s recent night flying proposal. All local residents in the area are encouraged to respond and send in their views. The consultation is not question-based, it simply asks for respondents' opinion of the proposals. It will give more weight to the opinions of those living under the flightpath. The local opposition campaign, No Night Flights, is concerned that the proposals would mean there would be scheduled night flights; these would be freight, not passenger flights; the new proposal wants to shorten it to 11:30pm until 6am- rather than the normal 11pm to 7am; restrictions would only apply to this new shorter “night” - there would be no restrictions on the period 6 - 7am, or 11 - 11.30pm; Manston want 659 flights a year in this new shorter “night” - an average of 1.8 each night… could be none on Monday, none on Tuesday, 5 on Wednesday
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“More geese may have to be culled” at Leeds-Bradford Airport
The airport's operations director says more geese may be culled to ensure the safety of planes. He said urgent action was needed from time to time, and recently met with residents protesting against the killing of geese at Yeadon Tarn last year. He said measures such as egg picking were already in place – but sometimes it was necessary to react quickly to a particular problem. The airport already used scaring tactics to deflect the geese but had a duty to ensure safety. “We have got to be prepared if suddenly a flock of geese descend and set up a roost somewhere in the locality, and then decide to fly across the airport. We have got to be able to deal with that.”
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New FoE report on jatropha cultivation for aviation biokerosene in Java
A new report by Friends of the Earth Netherlands, and Friends of the Earth Indonesia investigates the situation in Java, where jatropha and other crops are being grown to produce biokerosene for Lufthansa's "Burn Fair" programme. The report finds that Javanese farmers and workers have converted some of their land from food to fuel crops, in return for ridiculously low payments. They have had a fall in income, conflict and frustration. Indonesian farmers feel the lifeblood of Indonesia will be tapped for the benefit of wealthier people in Europe and elsewhere. Biofuel crops are putting pressure on land for food. The report says this growing of biofuels for aviation fuel is putting a double pressure on the poor in the global south: both in climate change and food prices.
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Manchester Airport owners agree restructure to fund Stansted acquisition
Greater Manchester's 10 councils have agreed in principle to restructure their ownership of Manchester Airport to fund a swoop for Stansted. Manchester Airports Group is seeking equity investment to give it the firepower to buy Stansted. MAG is currently owned by the 10 local authorities, with Manchester city council holding a 55% stake and the others 5% each. Proposals have been put to the Association of Greater Manchester Authorities, seeking approval for a new ownership model to be adopted if an external investor can be secured.
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Half of European airports part of scheme to cut their emissions (not the flight emissions though)
Airports account for perhaps around 5% of the total emissions from aviation. Airports handling about 50% of European passenger traffic are now certified under the Airport Carbon Accreditation programme set up by ACI Europe. Since its launch in June 2009, 55 airports have become accredited at one of the 4 levels of certification. In Year One of the programme, 18 accredited airports achieved a reduction of 411,390 tonnes of CO2, rising in the second year to a reduction of 729,689 tCO2 as 25 further airports joined. All very commendable, and excellent news that airports are cutting their carbon emissions. However, putting it in context, the 729,689 tonnes of CO2 is only 0.34% of the total 212, 892,052 tonnes allocated to aviation under the European emissions trading scheme, in the first year of the ETS. And European air passengers increased in 2011 by 7% in 2011 - so the emissions are rising.
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Arctic warms to highest level yet as researchers fear tipping points
Last year the Arctic, which is warming faster than anywhere else on Earth due to global climate change, experienced its warmest twelve months yet. According to NASA average Arctic temperatures in 2011 were 2.28 degrees C above those recorded from 1951-1980. As the Arctic warms, imperiling its biodiversity and indigenous people, researchers are increasingly concerned that the region will hit climatic tipping points that could severely impact the rest of the world. In 2011 the Arctic also experienced the lowest sea ice volume yet recorded, and the 2nd-lowest extent behind 2007. The older, thicker ice is declining faster than the rest, making for a more vulnerable perennial ice cover.The world's sea levels could rise twice as high this century as UN climate scientists have previously predicted, according to a study in the journal, Nature Geoscience. The IPPC proposes a maximum sea level rise of 81cm (32in) this century. Researchers say the true maximum could be about twice that: 163cm (64 inches). (BBC)
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Why Europe’s climate program for airlines is not a tax
US airlines are stepping up their efforts to mischaracterize and undermine the ETS by calling it a “tax” instead of what it really is – a market-based cap on pollution that lets them find the best and cheapest way to reduce emissions. The Environmental Defense Fund says this is the same tactic some in industry used to mischaracterize climate change legislation in the US during the last Congress, and they’re doing it again to undermine Europe's efforts. The aviation sector today emits about as much climate pollution as all of the UK and it is projected to quadruple by 2050. There will be a cost to reducing those emissions. But just because something has a cost, that does not make it a tax. EU law also gives airlines very broad flexibility to decide how to meet their caps. The ETS is a cap, not a tax.
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HS2 rail scheme protest group warns of legal action
Protest groups against the HS2 rail project have sent the government a formal letter warning they will take legal action unless it is stopped. The HS2 Action Alliance said in the letter to Transport Secretary Justine Greening that it would consider seeking a judicial review. The group said it was concerned about the project's environmental impact and accused the government of failing to comply with several legal requirements. They say the DfT failed to comply with "the legally binding requirements of the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) Regulations 2004 and the Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2010." An alliance of 18 local authorities working together under the collective name 51m, have also sent a formal notice to Ms Greening asking her to stop the project or face a potential judicial review.
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Global air freight tonnage fell by – 0.7% in 2011 compared to 2010. Freighters being parked.
IATA data show there was a fall of - 0.6% in tonnage (FTKs) of international air freight globally in 2011. There was a larger fall in domestic air freight, of - 1.4% giving an overall decline of - 0.7% compared to 2010. The industry is not optimistic about next year's air freight volumes, and air cargo companies are having difficulty remaining profitable. Earnings per tonne of cargo have fallen. Air freight capacity rose 5.2% in 2011, according to the IATA figures, as many companies had deliveries of new freighters that they now cannot fill. Their load factors are going down. World trade is flat, while international air FTKs (freight tonne kilometres) are dropping sharply, indicating that cargo is now being moved by other transport modes. Increasing numbers of air freighters are being parked in the Mojave desert.
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Southend Council set to oppose Boris’s Thames Estuary airport
Southend Council is set to formally oppose plans to build a £50billion airport in the Thames Estuary. The council is expected to agree a motion to use “all means within its power” to block the bid to create one of the world’s biggest airports, just a few miles off the town’s coastline. The pledge will be voted on by councillors on March 1. The Tory deputy leader said he was totally against the scheme. Boris has claimed the airport would only take 6 years to build if huge investment from countries such as Brazil or China could be secured. The idea has been consistently opposed by politicians from all parties in south Essex.
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Despite Heathrow’s huge business connectivity, BAA trots out its capacity arguments again citing need for flights to China
BAA continues to use any opportunity it can to push its ambition to expand Heathrow. It has used the January traffic figures as another chance to lobby for its 3rd runway and trot out its capacity argument. Passengers from Heathrow to China, including Hong Kong, rose by 3% in 2011, but happened to fall by 0.7% in January, compared to Jan 2010. BAA could not confirm whether other airports suffered a similar dip in January traffic. BAA imply, but there are no publicly available figures to check, that traffic to China from Frankfurt and Amsterdam rose in January. Germany exported £27 billion to China in 2010 and the UK exported £5 billion. Research carried out by WWF and AirportWatch in August looking at weekly flights (July 2011) showed Frankfurt had 43 flights to China, Paris Charles de Gaulle had 81 flights, Schiphol had 40 ..... and Heathrow had a whopping 94. It's not really falling behind, in any meaningful sense of the word.
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Bird watchers, politicians, fisherman, environmentalists, yachtsmen and other worried residents join new campaign against Thames Estuary airport
On 10th February, about the coldest night of the winter, around 80 people attended a rousing meeting in Leigh on Sea, to both find out about what proposals for a Thames Estuary airport mean, and join a new campaign against it. Speakers included Keith Taylor (Green MEP); David Amess MP; Peter Wexham, a Southend councillor; George Crozer, an Isle of Grain Parish Councillor; Paul Gilson, a local fisherman, and David Hedges from the RSPB. They covered a wide range of issues relating to the impacts that a massive estuary airport might have, as well as the history of failed proposals in the past. A new campaign group is being set up, gearing itself up for the consultation on estuary airport proposals and also on future UK aviation policy, that starts next month. Another meeting will soon be arranged at Canvey, to grow the campaign there.
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” futureLuToN:Optimisation ” consultation on expanding Luton airport to 18 mppa
London Luton Airport Ltd, that owns the airport, has now launched its public consultation into expansion plans. This lasts until 26th March. They then plan to submit a planning application in April, expecting a decision by Luton Borough Council by Autumn 2012. The airport is operated by London Luton Airport Operations Limited on a 30 year concession (granted in 1998). The owner has the opportunity to terminate the current concession agreement from 2014. They want to increase passenger numbers from the current annual 9.5 million (in 2011, up to 18 million, while improving the passenger experience. This is what they call Optimisation. There is not one mention of climate change, or of carbon dioxide, in the entire proposal. They acknowledge there will be more noise, but there are no details and just thin, waffly assurances that everything possible will be done to minimise it.
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How much profit do airports make from their retail activities, rather than flying?
Heathrow got 21.3% of its income from retail in 2010, compared to 53% from aeronautical. On average each Heathrow passenger spent about £5.70 (maybe £5.90) at the airport, with women spending more than men (!). BAA data say frequent fliers spend more than infrequent fliers. In the year 2010/2011 Gatwick airport made £115.6m from retail, and another £51.7m from car parking, with an average of £5.80 spent on retail per passenger. Stansted retail spending per passenger is about £4.00 to £4.20. In the year 2010/2011 Heathrow made about £380 million per year on retail, Gatwick about £115, and Stansted net retail income fell from £79.8m in 2010 to £73.9m. Manchester made about £70 million on retail, with about £3 per passenger.
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NPPF ‘unlikely to boost economy’, says report commissioned by key green groups
The coalition government has argued that its national planning policy framework (NPPF) - which includes a presumption in favour of sustainable development – is key to the UK’s economic recovery. And that planning delays cost the UK £3 billion every year. But research and report (by Vivid Economics) commissioned by CPRE, the National Trust and the RSPB argues that claims of the costs of the planning system have been overstated. The report concludes that while there are costs in some sectors, there is no evidence that planning has large, economy-wide effects on productivity or employment - or that it will have much effect on growth. If the NPPF comes into force in mid-2012, there is unlikely to be any construction as a direct result until mid-2013.
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Heathrow Airport plane noise complaints rise during runway trial
Complaints have risen from 75 during November 2010, to 480 in November 2011 once the trail started. During the trial dual use of both runways can be deployed when a plane faces a 10-minute wait to land or take off and if 30% of all flights are delayed by more than 15 minutes. Before the trial, the average time delay for flights was 12 minutes. The first trial finishes on 29 February while the next will run from 1 July 2012 until 30 September - coinciding with the Olympics
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AEA European member airlines report passenger growth of 7.1% to almost 363 million in 2011
Latest data from the 30 members of the Association of European Airlines (AEA) which report traffic data (this does not include airberlin and Olympic Air) shows that passenger numbers in 2011 were up +7.1% compared to 2010 to almost 363 million. Capacity (ASKs) is up 8.9% while traffic (RPKs) is up 8.0%, resulting in a load factor drop of 0.6% to 77.3%. Due to the troubles in North African countries, far fewer (about -23% fewer) European passengers travelled there. Cross-border Europe was up 9.7%. Domestic traffic grew + 2.7%. BA passengers were up + 11.6%. Virgin down - 0.%. BMI down - 7.5%. Over the 30 airlines covered, load factors were down 0.6%.
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Durham Tees Valley Airport’s future secured by takeover by Peel Investments
Previous owners Peel Airports has sold its 75% majority share-holding in the airport to Peel Investments (DTVA). So the airport can continue in business and get over its current crisis. Peel Airports is 65% owned by Vantage Airport Group (formerly Vancouver Airport Services) and 35% by The Peel Group. Peel Investments is now the majority shareholder in the airport, with the rest of the shareholding (25%) continuing to be owned by the six local authorities, including Hartlepool Borough Council. Peel Airports Limited, (as different part of the Peel Group) continues to be a major shareholder in Liverpool John Lennon Airport and Robin Hood Airport in Doncaster. Durham Tees Valley airport had less than 22% the number of passengers in 2011 as it had in 2006.
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GIP and 3i frontrunners to buy Edinburgh Airport
Global Infrastructure Partners (which owns Gatwick and London City Airport), 3i and a consortium backed by US private equity giant Carlyle Group are due to take an early lead in the race for Edinburgh Airport as the deadline for first-round bids expires this week. The airport is valued at £400m-£600m, and JP Morgan is also interested. Stagecoach boss Sir Brian Souter has ruled himself out of bidding in the first round, though may get involved later through his Souter Investments vehicle. Arcus Infrastructure Partners, owner of Forth Ports in Edinburgh, was named as another potential buyer but is also believed to have decided against. Bidders say the asset is attractive as it has been underdeveloped by BAA.
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MAG could consider other acquisitions if it fails to buy Stansted.
Manchester Airports Group could consider a swoop for a European or American airport if it fails to buy Stansted. The 10 Greater Manchester councils, which jointly own MAG, will be asked in the coming weeks to approve plans to seek external investment to fund a potential acquisition. Talks are already under way with potential investors and MAG hopes to narrow down the list of serious contenders over the next couple of months. MAG is not looking at a Scottish airport but is looking at Stansted “in some detail,” due to its similarity in size to Manchester and its potential for further growth.
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Letter in FT from WWF, AEF and T&E on aviation and the EU ETS
The EU has always said that it preferred an international agreement to cut emissions, but efforts to do so via the International Civil Aviation Organisation have stalled for 14 years. There are signs, however, that the EU move has finally prompted action from ICAO, which says it may produce a proposal by the end of the year. The EU legislation allows the exemption of incoming flights for airlines whose countries have equivalent measures, and in addition the European Commission indicated this week that it was prepared to review existing ETS legislation if a global deal that achieved greater environmental benefit was agreed to
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Chancellor George Osborne in airport meetings with backers
It has emerged, through FoI, that Chancellor George Osborne and his officials held a string of private meetings with the backers of plans for a new airport in Kent, including the London Mayor Boris Johnson. There were also regular contacts with Foster and Partners and Halcrow. The previously undisclosed contacts stretched over a 4-month period between May and August last year. The government has refused to say why the meetings were held and who asked for them, saying that it is not in the public interest to do so. The meetings reinforce speculation that the Treasury and the Chancellor have been instrumental in pushing the government towards backing the highly contentious idea of a new hub airport after David Cameron had, a year earlier, publicly vetoed the prospect.
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easyJet will trial electric taxiing system in 2013, hoping for fuel savings
easyJet, in collaboration with Honeywell and Safran, hsd announced that it will be the first airline to support the development and trial of the innovative new electric green taxiing system (EGTS). Due to the high frequency and short sector lengths of easyJet’s operations, around 4% of total fuel consumed annually is used when the airline’s aircraft are taxiing. easyJet’s aircraft average 20 minutes of taxi time per flight – the equivalent of 3.5 million miles a year. The first operational trials are expected to start in 2013. Honeywell and Safran are targeting to offer the electric green taxiing system either on new aircraft or as a retrofit solution to in-service aircraft as early as 2016.
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EU ETS aviation: Statement by Jos Delbeke, Director-General for Climate Action
Jos Delbeke: "The EU is firm on the implementation of its aviation ETS legislation, while engaging positively in the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)'s accelerated work on market based measures. This work under ICAO should move beyond discussions in order for decisions to be made to limit global aviation emissions. The EU cannot suspend its legislation. However, our legislation foresees flexibility to exempt incoming flights to take into account action by third countries. Furthermore, we will review and possibly amend our legislation if and when an agreement on market-based measures is found in ICAO."
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UK carbon emissions up 3.1% in 2010 compared to 2009. Aviation 6.4% of UK total (6.9% in 2009). 6.4% in 2005
DECC figures for UK carbon emissions for 2009 and 2010 show they increased in 2010, largely due to increased in household energy use and more use of gas and coal to produce electricity. UK international aviation emissions (excluding domestic flights) were responsible for 31.8 Mt CO2e in 2010, out of the UK total of 495.8 MtCO2e in 2010. This is 6.4%. In 2009 it was 6.96% because in 2009 aviation emissions were higher than in 2010 due to the recession, and total UK carbon emissions were a bit lower than in 2010. Aviation was 6.4% of UK emissions in 2005, so the proportion has remained approximately the same.
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Luton Airport expansion consultation delayed by a week
The public consultation by Luton Airport and Luton Borough Council to get the public's views on the proposed expansion of Luton Airport has been delayed by a week. They will be looking to double the capacity of the airport up to 18m passenger per annum, with a view to submitting a planning application in April. The 6 week consultation will now start on Monday 12th Feb. A number of exhibitions are to be held in conjunction with the consultation, and some have been rescheduled.
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