Latest News
Latest news stories:
BA agrees deal for UK jet biofuel plant
Date added: 15 February, 2010
BA is hoping to produce jet fuel from London's waste, with a plant to be completed
in 2014. The waste would be fed into a high temperature "gasifier" to produce
BioSynGas, and then the Fischer Tropsch to produce biofuel. They hope it will
produce 16 millions of gallons of fuel per year, which BA says is twice that needed
for flights from London City airport, ad 2% of its flights from Heathrow. Conversion
into fuel prevents methane release to the atmosphere. (BBC)
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Cargo boost for Stansted Airport – up 14.2% compared to January 2009
Date added: 13 February, 2010
Stansted Airport's cargo operation has enjoyed its 4rth month on month increase
in a row. More than 15,000 tonnes of goods were transported through the airport
last month, a 14.2% increase on January last year. However, by comparison to put
it in context, the figures for January 2009 were already down - 21.6% on those
for 2008, so the total is still well below its previous level.
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Climate sceptics denounced by Brown as he launches climate change group
Date added: 12 February, 2010
Gordon Brown has launched a new UN climate fundraising group, and says sceptics go 'against the grain' of scientific evidence. He will co-chair the UN High Level Advisory Group on Climate Change Financing. It aims to raise £19 bn over the next 3 years - rising to £60 bn annually by 2020 – to help poor countries limit their emissions and adapt to climate change. He said Britain supports a legally-binding agreement at in Cancun later this year. (Guardian)
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Coalition of denial: The sceptics who are trying to reshape the climate debate
Date added: 12 February, 2010
Who are the main climate sceptics? What are their main points? Several articles that show who is who, and what they are saying. Lomborg. Monckton. Bellamy. Griffin. Levitt and Dubner. Lawson. Peiser. Pilmer. Inhofe. Klaus. Wilson. Milloy. Michaels. Palin. Phillips. Booker.
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Plane Stupid brands Glasgow Airport Terminal 2 as unethical
Date added: 12 February, 2010
On the day the world's leaders were to release their global emissions target,
Plane Stupid Scotland unveiled a new sign welcoming people to Glasgow Airport.
Giant letters read "T2 closed" and "Closed for Ethical Rethink", pointing to the
increasingly struggling airport. The action is the first in a growing campaign to keep Terminal 2 shut for good.
It was closed over the winter as a cost saving measure after passenger numbers
fell by 11.3% to 7.2 million. (Plane Stupid)
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BA considering more London City – US routes
Date added: 12 February, 2010
British Airways may expand its all-business-class flights to the US from London
City Airport. Destinations being considered including Boston and Washington after
the airline confirmed that it is regularly filling 75% of the seats on flights
between City and New York. (UK Airport News)
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Make your mind up on 2nd Stansted runway, Government tells BAA
Date added: 11 February, 2010
The Minister responsible for dealing with BAA’s plans for a 2nd Stansted runway
has asked the airport operator to state whether it still wants to continue with
its current planning application. John Denham, Sec of State for Communities, has also told BAA that if it does
still want its second runway application to be considered, then the information
provided (a pile of documents almost 10 feet high) when it submitted the application
almost 2 years ago will need to be updated. (SSE)
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New Oxford airline to fly second route – Newcastle
Date added: 11 February, 2010
Start-up regional airline Varsity Express is to add a second domestic route from
its Oxford base. The carrier plans to serve Newcastle in addition to a service
to Edinburgh which is due to start on March 1. Daily Newcastle flights on weekdays
will be introduced from April 5. There will also be a second daily flight to and
from Edinburgh on weekdays. (TravelMole)
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Plans to tackle airport noise a sham, say campaigners
Date added: 11 February, 2010
Research by AEF for AirportWatch has found that airport ‘noise action plans’ will fail to tackle impacts on local communities.
European laws now require airports to draw up action plans to tackle their noise
pollution. But these plans are written by the airports themselves, and just re-state
what they already have to do to comply with, local planning requirements. Not
one plan meets all the requirements of the EC law, and airports have failed even
to comply with the weak demands of the EU’s legislation.
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£45m Government funding boost for aero engine research
Date added: 11 February, 2010
The Government - Lord Mandelson - has announced a £45 million support package
to research and develop more fuel-efficient, lower-carbon aero engines at universities
including Cambridge. The move will fund new partnerships between Rolls-Royce and many universities
around the UK. Projects will include developing lighter fans to cut fuel consumption,
simulation technology for virtual engineering and new high-temperature alloys
to improve fuel efficiency. (Peterborough)
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London City Airport crash jet ‘not properly serviced’
Date added: 11 February, 2010
Safety maintenance work on a plane whose nose landing gear collapsed as it touched
down at London City Airport had not been properly completed. Smoke filled the British Airways Avro 146 jet, carrying 67 passengers, as it
landed on 13 February 2009. A fatigue crack led to the landing gear fracturing. Improvement work on the plane had not been fully finished even though records
at the American maintenance firm responsible showed it had been. (BBC)
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Flying in the face of a ban – the IL-76 freighter
Date added: 10 February, 2010
Tensions over the continued use of the IL-76 (a huge, old, very noisy freighter) in
European skies are set to continue as charter brokers insist that there is no
real replacement. The IL-76, which has seen at least seven crashes worldwide in
the past eight years, is popular with cargo carriers because of its capacity.
It has a bad accident history. It was in theory banned in the EU in 2002 under
Stage 3 noise regulations. It is effectively banned in the US, Japan and Australia.
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Help needed in making business travel "greener"
Date added: 10 February, 2010
The Assoc of Corporate Travel Execs and KDS international did a survey of business
travel. It found 45% of respondents say top managers set a bad example in the
‘greenness’ of their travel choices, with 41% in the UK. 61% saw employers cut
the amount of business travel in 2009. 66% would like greater information about
the carbon emissions of a travel option before booking. (TravelMole)
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Branson and business leaders warn UK over ‘oil crunch’
Date added: 10 February, 2010
The UK risks being hit by painful hikes in the cost of food, heating and travel
because it is unprepared for surging oil prices, Sir Richard Branson and other
business leaders have warned. The report compiled by the Industry Taskforce for Peak Oil and Energy Security,
a group of private British companies , entitled "The Oil Crunch - a wake up call for the UK economy", warns the world
is running out of oil and predicts shortages and price spikes as soon as 2015.
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‘Boris Island’ airport to be discussed by London Assembly on 11th March
Date added: 10 February, 2010
An expert in constructing airports on artificial islands will brief the London
Assembly on building an airport in the Thames Estuary. Douglas Oakervee found building an airport on the site was technically feasible,
after he was asked to look into the idea by Boris Johnson, and will deliver his report on March 11th to discuss the potential environmental
impacts of the plan.
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Labour continue to back Heathrow third runway
Date added: 10 February, 2010
The Government's decision to give the go-ahead for a third runway at Heathrow
has ‘stood the test of time’, Transport Secretary Lord Adonis has said yesterday.
He added he was ‘confident’ an agreement would be reached with the European Commission
over pollution levels at the airport, which already exceed EU limits. (UK Airport
News)
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Heathrow BA plane crash caused by ‘unknown’ ice fault
Date added: 9 February, 2010
The crash landing, by a BA Boeing 777, just short of the runway at Heathrow on
17th Jan 2008, was caused by restricted fuel flow caused by ice in the fuel system,
the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) have said. It lost power in both
engines approaching landing, 2 miles out. This ice is a previously unrecognised
risk. The captain presumed a crash was inevitable, but managed to adjust the flaps
to gain distance to just reach the airport. (BBC)
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New Gatwick owner rules out second runway
Date added: 8 February, 2010
Sir David Rowlands, Chairman of the Board of Gatwick Airport, says a 2nd runway will not be considered any time in the foreseeable future, and "We at Gatwick have not a shred of interest in a 2nd runway. It’s not government policy and it’s not in our policy. Even if the Government started to look more favourably at the prospect, we would have to think very hard about spending £100 to £200 million on a planning application with an uncertain decision." (GACC)
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Manchester Airport protesters join forces with Sipson
Date added: 8 February, 2010
Campaigners against the expansion of Manchester Airport have joined forces with
Sipson, due for destruction if Heathrow gets a 3rd runway. A number of 200-year-old
cottages would be demolished if the airport builds a new cargo unit. Residents
held a tea party with Sipson village via video link on Sunday, and one is hoping
to take the airport's proposals to a judicial review in a bid to stop the expansion.
Manchester City passed the proposals in December. (BBC)
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Manchester Airport protesters join forces
Date added: 8 February, 2010
Campaigners against the expansion of Manchester Airport have joined forces with Sipson, due for destruction if Heathrow gets a 3rd runway. A number of 200-year-old cottages would be demolished if the airport builds a new cargo unit. Residents held a tea party with Sipson village via video link on Sunday, and one is hoping to take the airport's proposals to a judicial review in a bid to stop the expansion. Manchester City passed the proposals in December. (BBC)
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Edinburgh to Oxford flights: Martin Halstead is back in the air
Date added: 7 February, 2010
Martin Halstead’s Varsity Express will start flights from Oxford to Edinburgh next month. He would not disclose the identity of Varsity’s backers but they are understood to be a group of British businessmen with property interests in the Canary Islands. The flights — in an 18-seat Jetstream — will run only on weekdays. Halstead is looking at adding another route. (Times)
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Heathrow airport expansion cover-up
Date added: 7 February, 2010
The DfT is facing a criminal investigation following a complaint that it deleted
sensitive internal emails about the expansion of Heathrow. It is accused of disposing
of emails to and from BAA, between Sept and Nov 2007 as the government prepared
to push through its plans for a 3rd runway. The investigation unit of the Information
Commissioner’s Office has asked to interview DfT civil servants about the apparent
destruction of evidence. (Times)
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Airplane fairing panel falls on Miami mall parking lot
Date added: 6 February, 2010
A panel from a cargo plane fell outside a Miami mall but no one was hurt. A 17-foot piece of fuselage - a fairing - fell from a 747 cargo plane as it
was flying over Miami on Friday and landed in a Dillard's parking lot. The Atlas Air flight was landing at Miami, coming from Santiago, Chile. There was
no property damage and the plane landed safely. (msnbc)
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Aviation after Copenhagen: ICAO must now develop a bold strategic vision
Date added: 6 February, 2010
Chris Lyle, Chief Executive of Canadian-based Air Transport Economics, writes
about the future of the aviation industry and its carbon emissions, after Copenhagen,
and what ICAO should be doing. The industry continues to hope to grow globally by 5% per year, ad infinitum.
It realises that its target of 10% alternative fuels by 2017 and a 6% mix of
second generation biofuels by 2020 is not realistic. Current business-as-usual
would give - by 2020 -an absolute fuel consumption of some 53% over 2009.
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2M Group Urges European Environment Commissioner Dimas To Take Urgent Action Against Heathrow Pollution
Date added: 6 February, 2010
The 2M group is warning that the UK Government could face daily fines after allowing air pollution at Heathrow to breach European limits. Ministers have so far taken no action to improve air quality of the area despite previously admitting that NOx levels around the airport were above permitted levels. They know they are breaking EU law and damaging the health of UK citizens yet they are still hell-bent on building a 3rd runway, which will increase pollution.
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Baboo plans to be first into London City with Embraer 190
Date added: 6 February, 2010
Swiss carrier Baboo is aiming to be the 1st carrier to operate the Embraer 190
into London City Airport, with a service next week. BA CityFlyer and Lufthansa
CityLine are also planning to introduce services with the type shortly. Baboo
currently uses the Bombardier Q400 on the London City route. The Embraer 190 is
now certified for the steep approach into City. They want to experiment with its
potential. (Flightglobal)
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Abu Dhabi fund to take 15% Gatwick stake
Date added: 5 February, 2010
The owners of Gatwick have sold another stake - about 15% - in the airport, this time to the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the world’s leading sovereign wealth funds. Earlier in the week, South Korea’s National Pension Service took a 12% stake in Gatwick. GIP plans to retain overall control. The spokesman declined to say precisely how much Adia had paid. (FT)
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Budget airlines to influence plane design
Date added: 5 February, 2010
Two budget airlines, Australia's Jetstar Airways and Malaysia's AirAsia, that are doing well compared to full service airlines, say they want plane makers to design aircraft to suit their special needs. They want larger overhead storage bins, and a design that will help speed up turnaround times. Airbus reckons Asia will overtake the US and Europe to become the world's largest air transport market in 20 years - much will be budget airlines. (BBC)
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Climate scepticism ‘on the rise’, BBC poll shows
Date added: 5 February, 2010
A Populus poll of 1,001 people for the BBC suggests the number of British people
who are sceptical about climate change is rising. Now 25% do not think global
warming is happening, a rise of 8% since a similar poll was conducted in November.
75% of respondents now say climate change is a reality, down from 83% in Nov. 26% now believe climate change is happening and "now established as largely man-made".
A third now feel the potential consequences of living in a warming world had been
exaggerated
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Manchester Airport – Hasty Lane ‘Adopt a Resident’ Launch
Date added: 4 February, 2010
The Stop Expansion at Manchester Airport group (SEMA) is holding an "Adopt a Resident" launch, like the scheme that already exists at Sipson (Heathrow), so that campaigners and residents can team up, in order to protect homes. The airport is planning to bulldoze homes on Hasty Lane, to expand the aiport's World Freight Centre - totally in contradiction to UK climate targets. (SEMA)
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Doncaster Council approve Robin Hood Airport night flight changes (and Quota Count info)
Date added: 4 February, 2010
Doncaster Council’s Planning Committee has approved variations to planning conditions
at Robin Hood Airport that previously restricted certain categories of aircraft
from operating from the airport at night. The changes mean up to 100 bigger, noisier
aircraft will be allowed to operate at the airport at night each year, however
the overall night flight noise limits have been cut. The Council has approved
the airport’s proposal to lift the current QC4 aircraft restriction. (UK Airport
News)
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Durham Tees Valley: Vancouver Airport Services and Peel Holdings in talks
Date added: 4 February, 2010
It appears that that talks are ongoing between Vancouver Airport Services and
Peel Holdings, which operates Durham Tees Valley Airport, near Darlington. Peel
Holdings would not confirm or deny this. but reiterated the firm’s desire to sell
part of its airport business, Peel Airports. VAS operates 18 small to medium sized
airports around the world, and has turned many around. (Echo)
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South Koreans to take 12% stake in Gatwick Airport
Date added: 2 February, 2010
South Korea’s National Pension Service, the world’s 5th biggest pension fund,
will next week take a 12% stake in Gatwick airport, an investment of a little
less than £100m. The NPS last year bought the headquarters of HSBC in Canary Wharf for £773m in cash. GIP, which owns Gatwick, said the deal was
part of plans on the purchase of Gatwick to sell a minority interest in the airport
in its portfolio management.
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Global deal on climate change in 2010 ‘all but impossible’
Date added: 1 February, 2010
According to senior figures across the world involved in the negotiations, a
global deal to tackle climate change - from the next climate summit in Mexico 2010 - is all but impossible, leaving
the scale and pace of action to slow global warming in coming decades uncertain.
Many say only a legally binding deal setting "top-down" global limits on emissions
can ultimately avoid the worst impacts of rising temperatures, but an agreement
does not reduce one molecule of CO2 – it's national policies that do that.
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Ed Miliband defends climate change science
Date added: 31 January, 2010
Ed Miliband has reaffirmed that recent controversies over scientific data have not undermined efforts to tackle global
warming. One problem has been an error that hugely brought forward the estimated
date for the melting of the Himalayan glaciers. Ed Miliband said it would be
"profoundly irresponsible" to use one "mistake" as an excuse not to act, and this
one error did not "undermine decades of climate research" and the "majority of scientists
say that".
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DECC quarterly figures for UK aviation turbine fuel show a decline
Date added: 30 January, 2010
DECC produce figures each quarter, to show the amount of energy of all sorts
being used in the UK. One of the statistics they collect is the amount of aviation turbine fuel used
in that quarter. During all of 2008, the amount droped by 3% - compared to 2007. During the first quarter of 2009 it fell by 7.1% compared to the same quarter
in 2008. During the second quarter it fell by 2.7% and in the third quarter by 3.7%. 4th quarter figures not yet out.
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Analysis of data at 300 European airports reveals winners and losers in 2009 by airport and country
Date added: 29 January, 2010
With 2009 airport data in for countries across Europe, Anna Aero has collated
the information. Only four of 33 countries analysed reported air traffic growth. Morocco and Turkey,
and Albania and Latvia(both basically one-airport countries dominated by fast-growing
Tirana and Riga). Europe’s ‘big 5′ country markets averaged traffic declines of around 6% with
Spain suffering the most. Seven countries saw air travel fall by 10% or more.
The UK was down by 7.2%.
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Heathrow third runway pollution plan ‘inadequate’
Date added: 29 January, 2010
The London Assembly have said there are "clear inadequacies" in pollution safeguards
imposed on the planned expansion of Heathrow. The GLA environment committee say measures against the impact of a 3rd runway were not "fit for purpose", and is concerned no single authority would ensure BAA and airlines complied with pollution
rules. Murah Qureshi said "We would also question whether the suggested noise benchmark is fit for purpose
and if the aviation emissions targets are achievable."
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Heathrow protesters plan 3rd runway site ‘fortress’ and launch a competition for the fortification design
Date added: 29 January, 2010
Protesters plan to build a "fortress" occupied by "ordinary people" on land earmarked
for a 3rd runway. Last year a Greenpeace coalition bought an acre of land near Sipson village and
gave ownership to 60,000 people. Greenpeace has now invited architects - and non-architects - to submit designs for a "fortress"
to resist bulldozers, if the runway goes ahead. If Labour are returned to power,
the runway is due to be built in 2015, but Conservatives and Lib Dems are fighting
the £7bn plans. (BBC)
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Bristol campaigners ask Government to step in on airport decision
Date added: 27 January, 2010
Campaigners fighting the expansion of Bristol airport have asked the GOSW to
step in and refer the decision on the airport’s plans to the Secretary of State. Stop Bristol Airport Expansion said they decided to request a ‘call-in’, which
would result in a direct decision from Government, or a public inquiry, because
they believe that the ramifications of the decision, such as the impact of increased
traffic, noise and carbon emissions, stretch beyond North Somerset Council’s area
of control.
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2009: IATA says air freight had its worst year’s decline but year-end improvements
Date added: 27 January, 2010
Global air freight rose by + 24.4% in December, compared to Dec 2008 - which gives an exaggerated view, as Dec 2008 tonnage was very low. Global freight demand is still 9% lower than the peak in early 2008. Freight showed a full-year decline during 2009 of 10.1% with an average load factor of 49.1%. European carriers remain 20% below 2008 peak levels. Giovanni Bisignani said "We have permanently lost 3.5 years of growth in the freight business".
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IATA: 2009 – worst demand decline in history, encouraging year-end improvements
Date added: 27 January, 2010
IATA global aviation figures for December and all 2009 show the largest ever post-war decline in scheduled air traffic, down - 3.5%. Average load factor was 75%. Freight showed a full-year decline of 10.1% with an average load factor of 49.1%. In Europe, passenger demand was down - 5% for the year, and down -1.2% in December, compared to Dec 2008. 2010 will be "another spartan year focused on matching capacity carefully to demand and controlling costs," said Bisignani.
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Local MP gets the runaround on Heathrow 3rd runway public safety zones
Date added: 27 January, 2010
Hayes and Harlington MP, John McDonnell, has yet again attempted to discover the location of public safety zones (PSZs) for a 3rd runway and has yet again been given the runaround. Concerned residents and anti-runway campaigners have repeatedly asked BAA, the government and civil servants about the areas covered by the proposed runway's PSZs. It is for BAA to produce the maps, and BAA will not release the information until AFTER the next general election. (NoTRAG)
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Kent International Airport boss steps down after three years
Date added: 27 January, 2010
After 3 years at Kent International Airport, chief executive Matt Clarke is to return home to New Zealand. Tom Wilson, the CEO of Infratil Airports Europe, will take over management responsibilities at the Manston site from March for an interim period whilst a permanent replacement is sought. (Kent online)
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Scrap north-south Wales air route call by Lib Dems
Date added: 27 January, 2010
Highland, operating the Cardiff to Anglesey route, says it hopes to restart online bookings. It is facing "difficult trading" conditions and may go into administration. Liberal Democrats want the twice-daily Anglesey-Cardiff flights scrapped, and its public subsidy used on "green public transport". The service has £800,000 a year funding from the Welsh Assembly Government. Lib Dems say this is economically and environmentally unsustainable. (BBC)
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Clarity call on the Cardiff to Anglesey route as Highland stops bookings
Date added: 26 January, 2010
Calls for clarity on the future of the air route are made after the air firm
running it said it was facing "continuing problems". The twice-daily route between Anglesey and Cardiff is operated by Highland with
£800,000 public subsidy from the Welsh Assembly Government. Tenders for a new contract for the route ended on Weds and it is understood only
Highland Airways bid. The route has a Public Service Obligation (PSO) condition.
(BBC)
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Residents of Sipson, near Heathrow, divided over house sales
Date added: 26 January, 2010
A quarter of residents of Sipson, which will be wiped out if the 3rd runway goes
ahead, have tried to sell their homes to BAA - which has offered to buy 400 homes. Almost 100 owners have applied for their properties to be purchased and BAA has
made offers on 45, since it launched its its Property Market Support Bond scheme in
October 2009. Campaigners and residents fear the community is being destroyed
and have urged other residents not to sell up. (BBC)
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Economic growth ‘cannot continue’ if the world is to tackle climate change
Date added: 25 January, 2010
Continuing global economic growth "is not possible" if nations are to tackle
climate change, a report by an environmental think-tank, the New Economics Foundation, has
warned. It says "unprecedented and probably impossible" CO2 cutss would be needed to hold temperature
rises below 2C and at a growth rate of just 3% the "carbon intensity" of the global economy would
need to fall by 95% by 2050 from 2002 levels - an average annual cut of 6.5%.
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Jet airliners could land at Dunsfold Park
Date added: 25 January, 2010
A warning that jet airliners could soon be landing at Dunsfold airfield has just
been issued by prospective Guildford Lib Dem MP Sue Doughty. She believes upgrades to bring in Boeing 737s and 757s for repair were already well on the
way. Dunsfold Park Ltd chief executive Jim McAllister said the company’s immediate
focus would be to progress the site’s underlying permanent aviation and business
consent following its failed bid to build 2,600 'green' homes.
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90 feared dead as Ethiopian Airlines 737 crashes into Med
Date added: 25 January, 2010
An Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 carrying 90 people crashed into the Mediterranean
in flames just minutes after takeoff from Beirut, heading for Addis Ababa. At
least 12 bodies have been recovered. The plane was carrying 90 people, including 83 passengers and 7 crew. The cause
of the accident is not known but at the time Lebanon had been hit by bad weather,
with crackling thunder, lightning and pouring rain. Terrorism is not suspected.
(Independent)
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New Prestwick air traffic control centre opens
Date added: 25 January, 2010
The new air traffic control centre at Prestwick is now open. About 130 controllers have relocated from Manchester to complete the plan to
control UK airspace from 2 centres instead of 4. The other is at Swanwick in Hampshire. The
move brings to an end 35 years of air traffic control from the centre in Manchester. More than 800 people are employed at Prestwick controlling more airspace than
any other European control centre.
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£5m redesign plans for Cardiff airport’s terminal
Date added: 23 January, 2010
The redesign, part of the airport's wider £15m investment strategy, has reached the planning stage and work could start later this year. Plans have been drawn up to extend the front of the terminal, link the arrivals and departures halls, and provide new food and retail services - to boost business. Better public transport to the airport is being investigated. However, improving the terminal alone is not going to bring the airport more business. (BBC)
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Stobart plans Southend airport expansion
Date added: 23 January, 2010
Stobart Group said it hoped the government would make a swift decision on its
plan to expand Southend airport after it received local council approval earlier
in the week. Stobart branched out into aviation in December 2008 by buying Southend
airport in a deal worth up to £21m. It envisages increasing the number of passengers
from 48,000 in 2008 to 2m in 2019. For this to happen, by extending the runway
to allow larger aircraft to take off and land. (FT)
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Cameron rules out Thames island airport
Date added: 22 January, 2010
David Cameron has effectively ruled out building a new airport in the Thames
Estuary. He said if elected to government in the election it would not be the policy to construct
the four-runway airport. He said the Tories don't want a 3rd runway at Heathrow
and can stop that from happening. They want rail to replace flights for those
trips for which it is a sensible option. Opponents in Kent are delighted by Cameron's
comment. (BBC)
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Heathrow Runway3 epetition – 10 Downing Street response
Date added: 22 January, 2010
10 Downing Street have given a bland and uninformative response. Says that the CCC report says that, even in the least optimistic case, the target can still
be achieved while allowing significant growth in air travel (CCC describes this
as a 60% growth in passenger numbers or a 54% growth in the number of flights).
A 3rd runway at Heathrow would account for about 10% more UK flights than we have
now, well within the 54% cap suggested by the CCC.
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Cutting the deficit is the top priority of Tory candidates (reducing Britain’s carbon footprint is the lowest priority)
Date added: 22 January, 2010
ConservativeHome and ConservativeIntelligence have just polled the 250 Tory candidates in our most winnable seats, and published the personal priorities of the 141 that answered the survey. They find cutting the deficit is top-of-the-league. Helping small businesses is priority 2 and reducing welfare bills is priority 3. Lowest of the list is reduction in Britain's carbon footprint; only 8 adopted candidates said it would be a top priority for them.
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Southend runway extension given go-ahead
Date added: 22 January, 2010
Go-ahead has been given for a 300 metre runway extension at Southend. The Development
Control Committee voted 14 to 3 in favour..but planners must now refer proposals
to the government before work can start. Secretary of State at DCLG, John Denham,
has claimed the right to a final say on the extension and may call for a public
inquiry. Campaigners are concerned about a rise in passenger numbers to 2m a year,
and that expansion will have an adverse impact on the Southend area. (BBC)
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Durham Tees Valley Airport continues damages claim
Date added: 21 January, 2010
Lawyers acting for Durham Tees Valley Airport will return to court next week as they seek to overturn a judge’s decision not to award the airport £12m damages for a claim against bmibaby. Peel – the company that owns the airport – yesterday confirmed it had been allocated a 2-day hearing on January 26 and 27 at the Court of Appeal in London to again contest its case about bmibaby’s decision to withdraw its flights from the airport in Nov 2006. (Echo)
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Oxford to gain Scottish air link to Edinburgh
Date added: 20 January, 2010
A start-up regional airline plans to run flights between Oxford and Edinburgh.
Flights by Varsity Express will be operated by 18-seat Jetstream 31 aircraft and will run daily on weekdays from March 1. Varsity will offer a business class style service, serving complimentary tea, coffee and water plus a small snack. They expect to carry 6,500 passengers in the 1st year in a mix of 55% business, 45% travelling on leisure. (TravelMole)
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Air France-KLM to charge obese flyers almost double
Date added: 20 January, 2010
Obese people who are unable to squeeze into a single plane seat will have to pay nearly double to fly with Air France-KLM in future, starting from 1st April. They will have to pay 75% of the cost of a 2nd seat (the full price excluding tax and surcharges) on top of the full price for the first - unless the plane is not full.
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Abu Dhabi to host major research institution and demonstration project for “sustainable” aviation biofuels
Date added: 20 January, 2010
Boeing, The Masdar Institute, Etihad and Honeywell’s UOP have agreed to establish a research institution and demonstration project in Abu Dhabi. It aims to use integrated saltwater agricultural systems to support the development and commercialization of biofuel sources for aviation and others. It plans to use aquaculture effluents to fertilise plants like mangrove and salicornia, to make biofuel that does not compete with food. (GreenAir)
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A 3rd runway at Heathrow could lead to more domestic flights, the Government has admitted
Date added: 20 January, 2010
Ministers have encouraged travellers to opt for a train for domestic and short-haul
European trips. But in evidence to the Commons transport committee's inquiry into aviation, the
Department for Transport said a third runway could result in more flights to parts
of the UK. "Additional runway capacity would clearly provide more opportunity to cater for
demand for regional air services," it said. (Standard)
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BAA plans for 3rd Heathrow runway delayed — but is it too late for Sipson?
Date added: 20 January, 2010
BAA has confirmed it will not launch a public consultation on a planning application
until after the election. With expansion strongly opposed by the Conservatives who are ahead in the polls, any planning proposal could be quashed by a Tory
administration. Opponents remain cautious as even if the Tories win power they
could change their mind in the face of relentless lobbying from BAA and BA. "It's
like a slow death for Sipson," with up to 75 homes already bougth by BAA.
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Birmingham Airport announces plans to merge two terminals
Date added: 20 January, 2010
Birmingham Airport has announced plans to merge its 2 terminals as passenger
numbers fell by 5.5% compared to 2008. The airport said it will invest £13m in the new facility in a bid to improve
its passenger flows and operational efficiency as well as creating larger areas. This scheme is in addition to another £1.5m project to merge the current four
control rooms which will be operational at the beginning of March.
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Air France rail plans put on hold
Date added: 19 January, 2010
Plans by France's national airline to run high-speed trains have been put on hold after the French government introduced legislation widely viewed as restricting new operators' freedom. Air France said the plans were "not an urgent dossier" because the company did not have "any visibility on the rail transport deregulation rules". The French legislation allows regulators to ban services that are seen as harmful to publicly subsidised services. (FT)
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Southend Airport plan: Government intervenes with Article 14 Direction
Date added: 19 January, 2010
The runway extension at Southend Airport will not now go ahead without the authorisation of a Government minister. Communities Secretary, John Denham, has issued an Article 14 Direction about the application to extend the runway. The effect of the direction is to prevent Southend Council granting planning permission without his authorisation. It will still be considered at Development Control Committee on 20th. (Southend Standard)
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Boris backs call for public review of controversial new City Airport flight path
Date added: 19 January, 2010
At a packed meeting in Ilford on 18th the London Mayor Boris Johnson backed calls
for a public review of the controversial new London City Airport flight path introduced
last year. The CAA will review the flight path later this year but local residents
fear it will be carried out in private. MPs and local authorities have been inundated
with complaints from residents since the introduction of the new flight path.
(FtF)
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Lydd Airport – New Flight Paths
Date added: 19 January, 2010
Since the publication of the Shepway District Officer’s Report on July 1st, 2009, the CAA has approved new instrument approach procedures for Lydd Airport. This is material new evidence. The new flight paths will bring noise to more
people. LAAG believes the planning application’s determination should be delayed
until the impact of these flight paths has been evaluated. There are now instrument approach procedures for both runways.
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bmi ditches short-haul Business Class
Date added: 19 January, 2010
On 27th January, BMI launches a new service without a business class cabin.
BMI say business customers value business lounges, a seat at the front of the
aircraft and complimentary food and drink, but most no longer have business class
travel policies for short flight travel. So BMI has added some of these features
on a flexible economy fare, with lower APD. (Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation)
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Pew report finds reductions in aviation GHG emissions over business-as-usual projections could be halved
Date added: 19 January, 2010
Under business-as-usual (BAU) forecasts, CO2 emissions from global aviation are estimated to grow 3.1% per year over the next 40 years, resulting in a 300% increase in emissions by 2050 compared to 2007. However, a new report published by the Pew Center on Global Climate Change finds that reductions of more than 50% below the projected levels are possible. [ie. still a 150% rise]. For these reductions, international and domestic policy intervention is needed.
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Traffic at Frankfurt Airport Continues to Climb in December
Date added: 15 January, 2010
For the whole of 2009, passengers were down -4.7% on 2008, and air freight down
10.1%. ATMs were down -4.7%. In December, figures were higher. There was an increase
of 2.3% in passengers (to over 3.8 million) in December, compared to Dec 2008.
Rising by 6.3%, intercontinental traffic again was the major growth driver in
the passenger business. Air cargo was up 29% on December 2008, with Dec 13th
the second busiest ever day for freight.
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Green groups welcome proposals to allow greater access to environmental justice
Date added: 14 January, 2010
Leading environmental campaign groups have welcomed proposals by Lord Justice
Jackson for changes to the legal system to improve access to justice in environmental
protection cases and have called on the Government to act urgently to make the
necessary changes to the costs rules. The Coalition for Access to Justice for the Environment (CAJE) will now write
to the Government urging it to act swiftly on these matters. (FoE)
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EU to appoint new Climate commissioner – Hedegaard will work on NOx
Date added: 13 January, 2010
The prospective European Commissioners for Energy and Climate Action are to be grilled by MEPs during 3 hour "job interviews" this week. If she get the post of Commissioner for Climate Action, she has said she will work with colleagues to bring the issue of NOx from aircraft forward, and address it early in the next Commission.
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Commission approves public support for Vaasa regional airport in Finland
Date added: 13 January, 2010
The European Commission decided today not to raise any objections to Finland's plan to support infrastructure investments in Vaasa regional airport. The total amount of public financing will amount up to three million euros. They want cargo handling facilities there. There is EC guidance on when such support can be given. (Europa)
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London mayor repeatedly snubbed Kent’s leaders over ‘Boris Island’ airport
Date added: 13 January, 2010
Leaders in Kent County Council feel they have been repeatedly snubbed by Boris
Johnson, over the proposed airport. Correspondence reveals Boris has fobbed off
successive please to discuss the issue despite its potential huge impact on Kent.
Letters have been released under FoI. The leader of KCC asked Theresa Villiers
to broker a meeting, but even that failed. The leader of Medway Council has also
been snubbed.
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Last-minute agreement at Copenhagen marks turning point for the world
Date added: 13 January, 2010
What lies ahead after the apparent failure at Copenhagen? Perhaps the ad hoc
leadership by the so-called Copenhagen 5 (C-5), representing 45% of the world's
population and 44% of global greenhouse gas emissions, constitutes a new and potentially
historic alliance, a symbol, perhaps, of a new world order. The next few months
will offer strong indicators of whether nations whose heads of state endorsed
the accord will treat it as binding.
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Chinese carriers return to profit; concerns remain over competition, fuel
Date added: 12 January, 2010
Chinese airlines earned a profit of CNY 7.4 billion ($1.08 billion) in 2009,
compared to the CNY 31.8 billion net loss in 2008. Passenger boardings rose 19.7%
to 230 million and cargo volume rose 9.3% to 4.5 million tonnes. CAAC expects
passenger boardings to rise 13% to 260 million, while cargo to grow 12% to 5 million
tonnes. Chinese carriers collectively added 158 aircraft last year and this year
airlines plan to add 208 aircraft and phase out 17.
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Stansted: BAA needs to smell the coffee
Date added: 12 January, 2010
BAA's 2009 figures make a mockery of their claim to urgently need planning approval for a 2nd runway. The full year figures show Stansted handled fewer than 20 million passengers
last year, the lowest annual total for 6 years. There was an even sharper decline
in the number of flights. 2009's total of 156,242 made it Stansted's quietest
year since 2002. But BAA bizarrely still insists on continuing with its current planning application
and wildly optimistic future passenger estimates.
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Airport passenger numbers plummet in 2009 as Britons stay at home
Date added: 11 January, 2010
BAA's figures for all 2009 are now out, for its remaining 6 UK airports (not Gatwick).
Britain's major airports bore the brunt of last year's "staycation". They carried
4.7 million passengers fewer than in 2008. The 4.1% drop reflected a year in which
the recession saw demand for overseas holidays drop. Worst hit was Stansted, with
2.3 million drop – representing 10% of total as both Ryanair and easyJet cut back
on capacity.
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MPs URGE GOVERNMENT TO INCREASE CARBON REDUCTION TARGET
Date added: 11 January, 2010
The EAC has called on the Government to cut emissions of greenhouse gases by
42% cut by 2020 - to enable the UK to play its part in giving the world a 50:50
chance of not exceeding a global 2C rise in temperature. It also said it was important
to reduce the likelihood of exceeding 2C to well below this 50% risk. We are
only track for our current 34% target because of the recession. We need to prevent
offset credits from countries with no limits on carbon emissions. (FoE)
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