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

 11th May 2011     Another in a line of airport greenwash.  East Midlands has unveiled two wind turbines which will now generate all of 5% of the airport’s electricity demand. Naturally, in relation to the carbon emissions that the planes using the airport produce, it is less than a drop in the ocean. However, every tiny bit helps …. sort of. The turbines have been passed by the CAA for safety.  EMA has also (amazing innit?) a biomass boiler and a willow farm.       Click here to view full story…

 

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”

24th February 2011    More than 390,000 trees will be planted by the aiport on land near Castle Donington, which covers about 32 hectares. The first of 3 phases of planting started March 2010 and the airport hopes to harvest its first crop in 2013. The willow will be used in a bio-mass boiler, due to be fitted in 2012 – and save 350 tonnes of CO2 per year (about the same as 10 planes on return flights to Greece). The airport hopes to become “carbon-neutral” (ignoring the flights).      Click here to view full story…

 

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

6th January 2010      East Midlands Airport has announced that staff will be made redundant due to fewer flights and a reduced number of passengers travelling from the airport.  Up to 30 security workers could lose their jobs.  Unite has said it will work to ensure as few people as possible are laid off. G4S Aviation Services is the organisation responsible for the employing the staff.     Click here to view full story…

 

 

East Midlands runway extension plans approved

 3rd November 2009
 The runway at East Midlands Airport will be extended by 190 metres after councillors approved plans. Officers at North West Leicestershire Council have said there are no grounds for blocking the development. The aim is to allow heavier planes to take off and make the UK’s 3rd-biggest freight airport more attractive to long-haul cargo carriers, especially across the Atlantic. Opponents know it will lead to more noise, especially at night, and air pollution.    Click here to view full story…

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

9th March 2009    Judgement day was supposed to come this month for the East Midlands Airport much-vaunted runway extension. But the planning application disappeared from the latest NW Leicestershire District Council’s planning committee agenda. The application to increase the runway by 190m was first submitted in September 2000. Steve Bambrick, head of environment at the council said a decision should be made within the next few months. (This is Derbyshire)     Click here to view full story…

News about East Midlands Airport from the website of the local campaign group, “DEMAND”:    … view archive

23-07-2009Grant that nobody can qualify for at East Mids AirportArticle in the Leicestershire Mercury
29-06-2009AIrport Noise Complaints droparticle in Leicester Mercury
07-03-20098 years onarticle in Derby Evening Telegraph
05-01-2009Demand for curbs on airport’s night flights
Article in Derby Evening Telegraph
05-01-2009Demand 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
10-10-2008Jumbos fears for Residents at EMA
article in Burton Mail
16-09-2008
Airport and Campaigners clash over complaints procedures
Article in Melton Times
06-08-2008ACT NOW, SAYS AIRPORT NOISE CAMPAIGNER
article in Nottingham Evening Post
05-08-2008Petition against night flights
article in Melton Times
04-08-2008neighbour calls 2000 times last year about airport noise
article in Daily Mirror
30-07-2008Curb For Night Flights Plea
Article in Nottingham Evening Post
29-07-2008Complaint numbers down
Article in Leicester Mercury
25-07-2008Jumbos for Residents
article in Burton Mail
23-07-2008call to curb night flights
Article in Leicester Mercury
17-07-2008petition against night flights
Article in the Loughborough Echo
16-07-2008Night 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

26.3.2008      Steve Charlish, Chairman “DEMAND” (Demand East Midlands Airport is Now Designated) said “We are asking the Prime Minister to limit night flying at EMA, and are asking that the restrictions already applicable to the big three London Airports Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted, are applied at EMA. East Midlands Airport has been allowed massive expansion of night flights which exceed acceptable levels to the local community. (DEMAND press release)    Click here to view full story…
News stories about the airport can be also be found on the UK Airport News website.

 

2009

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

 

28.01.09 Ryanair announce East Midlands – Ibiza flights 

 

2008
21.12.08 GP bosses want to restrict traffic at East Midlands Airport
07.12.08 bmibaby announce East Midlands – Menorca flights

 

20.11.08 East Midlands Airport boss defends runway extension plans
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

25.02.08 East Midlands Airport car park developments
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
19.01.08 East Midlands Airport to install traffic surveillance system
17.01.08 Record year for East Midlands Airport
2007

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 Passengers up 6.2% at East Midlands Airport
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
06.11.07 World’s largest plane at East Midlands Airport
01.11.07 Two new Polish routes from Cardiff and East Midlands for Bmibaby

All articles in reverse date order