East Midlands Airport News
East Midlands Airport face criminal charges for River Trent pollution
Multiple criminal charges are being brought against East Midlands Airport Ltd by the Environment Agency for pollution entering the river system surrounding the airport. The prosecution follows a sustained campaign by the Derby Railway Angling Club, who have been working with Fish Legal to highlight chronic pollution of the Diseworth Brook and River Trent linked to discharges of de-icer used on aircraft and runways at the airport. East Midlands Airport Ltd is legally required to comply with an environmental permit issued by the Environment Agency for discharges of contaminated drainage water and provide data to the regulator to assess the impact of pollution coming from the airport on river water quality. The charges being brought relate to permit breaches and discharges of contaminated site drainage that took place in 2021 and 2022. The fishing organisations want revisions to the airport’s permit to better control emissions of polluting de-icers into nearby rivers and for investment to raise standards of treatment of contaminated water from the site in line with other airports.
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Noisy night flight ban proposed by East Midlands Airport
Noisy planes would be banned from taking off or landing at East Midlands Airport (EMA) during the night (23:00 and 07:00) under new plans. The airport’s noise action plan for 2024 to 2028 is proposing bans on three categories of the noisiest planes (QC4, QC8 and QC16 ratings). The suggested changes also would see penalties to airlines flying louder planes at night increased. A consultation closes on 31 July. The airport said night flights account for 45% of its operations, and includes passenger services as well as freight. Under the airport’s planning conditions, noise must not exceed 55 decibels for more than 16km around the site between those hours. EMA says it has a freight capacity of 450,000 tonnes a year, forecast to reach 700,000 by 2040. Since Covid, the number of the older and noisier QC4-rated aircraft flights has increased, which the airport says is due to a shortage of vehicles and the need to meet demand for increased online shopping. Fines for airlines not meeting new “Chapter 14” noise standards – certification standards for noise emissions from aircraft – would currently affect 79% of all night flights, with just 21% meeting the standard in 2022.
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MAG warns the 10 councils that own it that they may not get any dividends till 2027
The Manchester Airports Group (MAG) owns Manchester, Stansted and East Midlands airports. MAG is owned by Greater Manchester’s 10 councils, which used to make huge profits from their airports, before Covid. Several other UK airports, such as Birmingham, are owned by councils. Since the start of the pandemic, many airports have had to be given loans by the councils that own them. Now the MAG councils have been warned they might not receive any dividend from their ownership of MAG airports, until 2027. Several councils have become dependent on the airport money – which is a problem, if they aim to cut carbon emissions, but need as much (high carbon) flying as possible, to pay their bills and provide council services. MAG last paid dividends in 2019, sharing £110m amongst its shareholders. Manchester City Council owns 35.5% of MAG; 9 authorities, the Metropolitan Boroughs of Bolton, Bury, Oldham, Rochdale, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford, Wigan, together with Salford City Council, collectively own 29%. Australian investment fund Industry Funds Management owns 35.5%.
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East Midlands airport handled more freight, due to Covid and internet shopping
East Midlands airport handled 381,954 tonnes of air freight in 2020 (14% up from 2019). The freight tonnage at Heathrow in 2020 was 1,146,310 which was down -28% compared to 2019. The total tonnage of air freight at UK airports was 2,002,187 tonnes in 2020 (21% down on 2019) – it had been 2,535,423 tonnes in 2019. East Midlands airport says it is now a major hub for dedicated express freight operators such as DHL, UPS, FedEx and the Royal Mail. There has been growth of SEGRO’s vast East Midlands Gateway distribution park to the north and the new Maritime Rail Freight Interchange linking the park to the rail network. The rise in internet shopping has also added to freight movements. During early 2020 there had been a lot of air freight, bringing in personal protective equipment (PPE) and other supplies. This had caused airlines to be willing to pay the added costs of flying at night and in older or more noisy aircraft. This had been unpleasant for people being noisily over-flown at night as 60% of the airport’s freight cargo was flown between 11pm to 7am.
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Heathrow, Gatwick and East Midlands apply for UK Freeport status
Heathrow, Gatwick, East Midlands and Bournemouth airports have applied to the government for Freeport status. The period for applications closed on 5th February. There are 33 applicants, and the government is expected to announce 10 – for all the UK – by “the spring” (ie. probably by June). The scheme comes following Brexit and as the government looks to create new trade links. Freeports are sites where normal tax and customs rules do not apply. They can be airports or maritime ports, and can be made up of a consortium of both as long as all sites are within a similar geographic location. Companies using Freeports will be able to import goods without paying tariffs, process them into a final good and then either pay a tariff on goods sold into the domestic market, or export the final goods without paying UK tariffs. Areas given Freeport status will also benefit from a wide package of tax reliefs, including on purchasing land, constructing or renovating buildings, investing in new plant and machinery assets and on Employer National Insurance Contributions. There were 7 freeports between 1984 and 2012 (eg. Liverpool and Southampton ports), after which UK legislation changed and their use was not renewed.
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East Midlands Airport boss on plans for future expansion (hope to double passengers and triple freight)
East Midlands Airport (EMA) is owned by MAG, the Manchester Airports Group, and the 3rd largest after Manchester and Stansted. In its most recent accounts, revenue grew by 3.6% to £62.4m for the year to March 2017 – far behind Manchester airport’s 12.5% growth to £444.5m, but slightly above the 3% for Stansted, which had a £294.1m turnover. The airport’s management hopes that being near Nottingham, Derby and Leicester, and with programmes such as HS2 and the Midlands Engine aiming to grow the local economy, it has growth prospects for the future. There are always hopes of connections to 2nd-tier Chinese cities such as Ningbo, where the University of Nottingham has a campus, India and the United States – possibly key markets in the post-Brexit world. East Midlands wants to double is passenger number, to 10 million – and almost treble the amount of freight to one million tonnes by around 2030 to 2035. It is the UK’s largest pure freight airport – for aircraft dedicated to carrying cargo – in the UK. (Heathrow has much more, but that comes as belly-hold cargo, in passenger planes). EMA handles about 350,000 tonnes of freight and cargo through a 24/7 operation. Noisy planes fly all night.
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East Midlands Airport to refurbish full runway over weekends (nothing more ever heard of about the 2009 plans for a runway extension)
East Midlands Airport has announced that it will undertake a full length runway refurbishment project from 5th November till 19th December 2016. Therefore the airport will be closed to all traffic for 48 hours (8pm Saturday to 8pm Monday) each weekend, on 7 consecutive weekends. The airport hopes this will cause the least disruption to its airlines, and not affect the imports for Christmas. The timing avoids the busy summer holiday season when the airport makes a lot of money out the low cost leisure travel. The plan is for around 360 workers (Galliford Try is the principle contractor) every weekend laying 50,000 tonnes of specially formulated material across 150,000 square metres of runway etc n total. While the runway is closed, the airport is also replacing over 1,200 lights on and around the area with LED lighting, which uses less electricity than the previous lighting, cutting airport energy costs. East Midlands’ runway was last refurbished in 1999, and has a natural lifespan of around 12-17 years. They are all hoping the work will be done on time and within the weekend periods. The airport hoped, in its forecasts around 2005, to have 4 times as much freight in 2016 as it had in 2004. The level has actually risen by just a few %. They also then hoped for a doubling of flights and passengers. The number of flights has barely risen and the number of passengers has slightly fallen. So much for forecasts.
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Monarch airlines plans to slash workforce by 1,000 jobs, up to 30%, to compete with Ryanair and EasyJet. No longer flying from East Midlands.
Up to 1,000 jobs, about one third of its work force, will be cut at Monarch as it tries an overhaul to reposition itself as a low-cost airline competing with easyJet and Ryanair. Monarch is currently controlled by a wealthy Swiss-Italian family, and has been undertaking a strategic review of its business in order to attract new investors. It will drop its charter flights and focus on short-haul scheduled flights. It will cut its fleet of aircraft from 42 to 30. It will keep its focus on holiday destinations like Spain, the Canary Islands and Turkey but add more European cities and skiing destinations. Overall, it will fly more frequently to fewer destinations. They will no longer fly from East Midlands Airport. Monarch has its HQ at Luton airport, is made up of Monarch Airlines, tour operator Cosmos Holidays and an aircraft maintenance division. Monarch’s MD said “We’re on a trajectory of changing from a charter airline to a scheduled European low-cost carrier.” They recently ordered new planes, at the Farnborough air show. This is a £1.75bn order for 30 new Boeing 737 aircraft to be delivered by 2020. They carried about 6.8 million passengers in 2013.
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£12m East Midlands Airport boost to cut security queues
26.11.2012 The airport has revealed plans for a £12 million project to speed up security screening and upgrade shops and restaurants. It has received planning permission to refurbish its security search area and create an extension between the existing departures and arrivals buildings. The investment is intended to make the airport simpler and more efficient for the 4.3 million passengers who pass though it annually. Work is due to begin in the next couple of weeks and will be completed towards the end of 2013. This follows agreements with new operators Monarch and Flybe who, through a deal with Air France, will provide access to worldwide destinations via Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport. Expansion plans were also revealed by existing carriers Ryanair and Jet2.com this summer. Details….
All BMI Baby routes from Belfast to go by 11th June, and Flybe moving into the gap – including to East Midlands
May 5, 2012 BMI Baby will stop all its flights from Belfast City airport from 11th June. The airport said 420,000 of its passengers last year had flown with BMI Baby. BMI Baby services from East Midlands to Amsterdam, Paris, Geneva, Nice, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Newquay, and from Birmingham to Knock and Amsterdam, will end on the same date. BMI Baby said it would not affect BMI mainline’s service from Belfast to London Heathrow. Monarch said it would run services on 25% of routes operated by bmibaby from the Midlands. A BALPA spokesman said: “The frustration has now turned to anger following the news that Flybe (which is part owned by BA) has moved onto many of these bmibaby routes without any opportunity for staff to look at options and alternatives.” Flybe is moving quickly onto some of the abandoned routes. Click here to view full story…
Bmibaby to be grounded – jobs of nearly 500 staff may be lost
May 4, 2012 IAG has announced that Bmibaby will be grounded on 10th September, with some routes being stopped as early as next month. This will affect almost 500 staff. BMI Baby employs 497 staff in the UK, including 83 people at its Castle Donington headquarters, as well as 98 pilots, 117 cabin crew and 76 operations staff based at East Midlands Airport. IAG said it was still willing to sell airline, but it didn’t expect to find a buyer for the carrier which is losing £25m a year. BA said it is more optimistic of being able to sell Aberdeen-based Regional. They will be making reductions to bmibaby’s flying programme from June with many flights ending on 11th. Monarch has announced it is launching a new base at East Midlands Airport to plug the gap left by the grounding of bmibaby. It will also offer additional flights from Birmingham. Click here to view full story…
EMA wind turbines to produce a tiny amount of the airport’s electricity
New Chief Exec at EMA has his eyes on long haul in expansion push
12th April 2011 Six months into his post as Managing Director, Brad Miller wants to see 4.25 million passengers using East Midlands Airport next year. He wants to get flights from the US and the Indian sub continent. He wants more business passenger, now just 8%. If he can add another two million people who use the airport, we might get a new terminal. In the year to March 31st 2011, there were 4.06 million passengers (in 2008-9 there were 5.34 million) Click here to view full story…
East Midlands Airport “is a step closer to providing its own bio-fuel to power terminal”
East Midlands Airport step up turbines plan
12.01.10 East Midlands Airport hopes to have four giant wind turbines built on the site by the end of this year, the Mercury reports. Planning permission was granted for the 45m high electricity generating structures nearly two years ago. When they are built, the turbines will generate 900 kilowat – about 10% of the airport’s energy needs or equal to the amount needed to power 500 houses. They are part of a wider plan to make the airport’s ground operations carbon neutral. Click here to view full article ….
Staff to go at East Midlands Airport
East Midlands runway extension plans approved
Threat to 250 jobs as easyJet axes routes – (Luton and East Midlands)
5th September 2009 easyJet is shutting its operation at East Midlands and is cutting flights from Luton by 20%. It blamed the cuts at Luton, which is at the heart of its operations, on ‘the airport’s failure to recognise the commercial realities of the recession’, and complained Luton’s costs had risen by 25% over the past 3 years making it ‘no longer competitive’. The closure of its operation at East Midlands will hit the Nottingham, Derby and Leicester area. (This is Money) Click here to view full story…
East Midlands – Airport bosses happy with noise policy despite residents’ protests
22nd July 2009 East Midlands airport says they are happy with their policy on aircraft noise despite protests at a public meeting last night. They have put in place measures to reduce the volumes of noise from planes, but many people living nearby say they are still woken by night flights. Staff at East Midlands said they would need to change little from their existing plans to fall in line with the EU requirements. Click here to view full story…
East Midlands Airport expansion plans – the eight-year wait goes on
News about East Midlands Airport from the website of the local campaign group, “DEMAND”: … view archive
| 23-07-2009 | Grant that nobody can qualify for at East Mids AirportArticle in the Leicestershire Mercury |
| 29-06-2009 | AIrport Noise Complaints droparticle in Leicester Mercury |
| 07-03-2009 | 8 years onarticle in Derby Evening Telegraph |
| 05-01-2009 | Demand for curbs on airport’s night flights Article in Derby Evening Telegraph |
| 05-01-2009 | Demand for curbs on airport’s night flightsArticle in Derby Evening Telegraph |
12-10-2008 | John Stewart a one man eco industry article in the Independent |
| 10-10-2008 | Jumbos fears for Residents at EMA article in Burton Mail |
| 16-09-2008 | Airport and Campaigners clash over complaints procedures Article in Melton Times |
| 06-08-2008 | ACT NOW, SAYS AIRPORT NOISE CAMPAIGNER article in Nottingham Evening Post |
| 05-08-2008 | Petition against night flights article in Melton Times |
| 04-08-2008 | neighbour calls 2000 times last year about airport noise article in Daily Mirror |
| 30-07-2008 | Curb For Night Flights Plea Article in Nottingham Evening Post |
| 29-07-2008 | Complaint numbers down Article in Leicester Mercury |
| 25-07-2008 | Jumbos for Residents article in Burton Mail |
| 23-07-2008 | call to curb night flights Article in Leicester Mercury |
| 17-07-2008 | petition against night flights Article in the Loughborough Echo |
| 16-07-2008 | Night flights petition article in Rearsby Parish online Magazine |
East Midlands airport claims runway extension won’t create headache for residents
20th November 2008 A planning application has been submitted to NW Leics District Council for a runway extension. The airport claims plans to extend the runway at the airport will increase the noise from only a “small number” of planes. They say the proposed expansion will actually reduce the level of noise from the majority of landing aircraft for some residents. The proposed runway extension would allow larger aircraft to depart at slightly heavier take-off weights. (This is Derbyshire) Click here to view full story…
East Midlands Airport noise meeting
30.09.08 Residents and environmental workers have met with council officials to discuss night noise levels at East Midlands Airport. People concerned about the airport’s proposals to extend the runway to just over three kilometres attended the meeting with North West Leicestershire District Council officers. The airport wants to lengthen its 2,893m runway by 190m. A planning application was submitted eight years ago, but has not been determined. If approved, it would not mean larger aircraft using the runway, but it would allow existing planes to carry greater loads, which would make the flights more profitable.
Planners at the council said they hope to make a decision on the application in the by the end of the year. However, representatives of residents’ groups have asked that a full environmental impact assessment be carried out before any decision is made. (UK Airport News) link to article
The DEMAND Campaign launches a Downing Street e-petition against Night Flights at East Midlands Airport
30.07.09 New Canary Islands flights from East Midlands Airport
23.07.09 Protests at East Midlands Airport noise meeting
20.07.09 East Midlands Airport noise plan released
30.06.09 Big drop in East Midlands Airport noise complaints
20.06.09 Bmibaby announce East Midlands – Prague flights
12.06.09 Ryanair axe East Midlands – Inverness flights
06.06.09 East Midlands Airport noise fund gives £400,000
05.06.09 9 airlines hit noise targets at East Midlands Airport
17.05.09 Bmibaby pass 1m mark on Belfast – East Midlands route
15.05.09 East Midlands Airport wins green award
23.04.09 Kiss add Egypt flights from Bristol and East Midlands
22.04.09 Planners recommend East Midlands Airport runway
02.04.09 bmibaby celebrate 7 years at East Midlands Airport
24.03.09 Ryanair announce East Midlands Airport routes
07.03.09 Further delay for East Midlands Airport runway plan
26.02.09 Job losses at East Midlands Airport
26.02.09 Aurigny plan East Midlands – Guernsey flights
18.02.09 bmibaby adds flights from Manchester, East Midlands and Birmingham
01.02.09 Record year at East Midlands Airport
07.12.08 bmibaby announce East Midlands – Menorca flights
09.11.08 easyJet puts summer flights from East Midlands on sale
07.11.08 More passengers using East Midlands Airport bus
02.11.08 MPs in war of words over plans to tax freight aircraft
22.10.08 Two awards for East Midlands Airport
30.09.08 East Midlands Airport noise meeting
29.09.08 East Midlands Airport ‘green week’
22.09.08 East Midlands Airport complaints procedure criticised
11.09.08 bmibaby unveils new summer routes
10.09.08 East Midlands spends record amount on soundproofing
08.09.08 Major roadworks near East Midlands Airport
28.08.08 Ryanair axe Cork flights from East Midlands and Prestwick
17.08.08 New duty free shop opens at East Midlands Airport
04.08.08 Man calls east Midlands Airport 2000 times to complain about noise
04.08.08 Airports asking some airlines to pay cash
03.08.08 Emergency landing at East Midlands Airport after bird strike
30.07.08 Passengers up 5% at East Midlands Airport
26.07.08 Residents East Midlands Airport runway fears
20.07.08 Petition against East Midlands night flights
19.07.08 Complaints down at East Midlands Airport
19.07.08 East Midlands Airport traffic warning
05.07.08 East Midlands Airport breaks passenger record
30.06.08 easyJet launch winter flights from four UK airports
20.06.08 Ryanair add three new routes from East Midlands Airport
04.06.08 Ryanair add East Midlands Airport – Malaga flights
22.05.08 East Midlands Airport traffic warning this weekend
14.05.08 Burma flight takes off from East Midlands Airport
30.04.08 Airport closed after Ryanair plane leaves runway
29.04.08 Report raises failures on cargo flight ‘catastrophe’
24.04.08 Passengers up 15.2% at East Midlands Airport
12.04.08 Climate change protest at East Midlands Airport
09.04.08 bmi uses bigger planes on East Midlands – Brussels route
05.04.08 Traffic warning for East Midlands Airport
29.03.08 East Midlands Airport night flight petition launched
27.03.08 Manx2 adds flights to Gloucester, Jersey and East Midlands Airport
26.03.08 East Midlands Airport to install wind turbines
25.03.08 bmibaby 6th anniversary at East Midlands Airport
23.03.08 Locals unhappy over East Midlands night flights
20.03.08 Passengers up 19.2% at East Midlands Airport
10.03.08 East Midlands Airport Goa flights popular
04.03.08 Manx2 launch Isle of Man – East Midlands
24.02.08 Passengers up 15.4% at East Midlands Airport
09.02.08 bmi set to launch East Midlands – Cologne flights
08.02.08 easyJet launch East Midlands – Palma flights
17.01.08 Record year for East Midlands Airport
14.12.07 Manx2 to launch East Midlands flights from Isle of Man
13.12.07 Passengers up 15.4% at East Midlands Airport
07.12.07 East Midlands Airport bus celebrates 1 million passengers
05.12.07 bmi announce new East Midlands – Cologne flights
30.11.07 bmibaby announce new routes from Birmingham, East Midlands, Manchester and Cardiff Airports
20.11.07 East Midlands, Gatwick and Heathrow pick up awards
01.11.07 Two new Polish routes from Cardiff and East Midlands for Bmibaby
All articles in reverse date order