Gatwick Airport news January to June 2014
Gatwick’s retail income still about 22% of total – around net £3.72 on retail sales + £1.35 on parking per passenger
The Moodie Report has published figures for the retail income of Gatwick airport in the year to 31st March 2014. Gatwick’s retail income rose 9.7% on the level in 2013, from £123.2 million to £135.1 million. By contrast their aeronautical income (aircraft landing charges etc) rose by 11.1% from £285.8 million to £317.4 million. There was a 4.8% increase in passengers, to about 36 million. Gatwick’s car parking income rose by 12.9%, from £58.1 million to £65.6 million. In the year to March 2014, Gatwick made on average £1.35 per passenger on parking. It made, on average, £3.72 per passenger from retail sales. This was up by 4.2% from the level in 2013, but only up 2.7% on 2011. There is now even more retail space, with even more food and beverage facilities. In the year to March 2011 their retail income was £115.6 million and the net retail income was £3.62 per passenger. ie. barely changed over 3 years, (up 2.7%). And that’s a new World Duty Free store opened, and 33 other new stores opened in the past year. Net retail income per passenger at Heathrow was £5.98 in 2011, and about £6.21 in 2012. For both Heathrow and Gatwick, retail income was about 22% or so of income.
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Gatwick airport announces first profits for years and returns for its investors … UK tax?
Gatwick airport has announced its results for the year to 31st March 2014. It has made a profit, for the first time in 4 years. Gatwick says its passenger numbers reached 35.9 million in 2013/14 (4.8% up on 2012/13). Their turnover is up 10.2% to £593.7 million and EBITDA is up 14.2% to £259.4 million, with a resulting profit of £57.5 million. This compared to a loss in the financial year ending 31 March 2013 of £29.1 million. The airport has spent a great deal improving the airport, and so made losses – and paid no tax to the UK government for years. Gatwick says their investments and more marketing is being effective in attracting more passengers. It now has more aircraft movements at peak times (a cause of the noise nuisance being caused from new flight paths). Gatwick now claims 20% are travelling on business, largely on EasyJet. The figure was 17.5% in 2012. Gatwick says it will now be paying dividends to its investors, though it has not in recent years. It expects to pay £125m to investors in the current financial year, £65m return in the 2015/16 financial year and £60m in 2016/17. [Maybe also pay some UK tax?]
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Horley Town Council announces open public meeting to be held on Gatwick 2nd runway proposals
Horley Town Council has announced it is to hold what promises to be a packed open public meeting on 18th July on the proposals for a 2nd runway at Gatwick. The town council has set the public meeting, entitled “Do You Want a Second Runway at Gatwick?” – the first such meeting to be organised by the council for some 6 years and its first on the 2nd runway proposals. For many, the runway proposals are the major single issue facing the town and the area today. The 3 speakers will be Alastair McDermid, the Airports Commission director for Gatwick; Peter Barclay of the Gatwick Area Conservation Campaign (GACC); and a representative of the Gatwick Diamond Business forum. Following the presentations, the meeting will split into smaller groups, headed by facilitators, to look at more specific areas and focus on residents’ concerns – followed by questions. There will not be a resolution put, or a vote, at the meeting. The chairman of the council’s 2nd runway sub-committee said if enough people want to attend, a 2nd meeting may be necessary.The council may send out a questionnaire to all households.
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Tunbridge Wells & Bidborough residents, and High Weald parishes unite against Gatwick runway plans
The threat of a 2nd Gatwick runway is a very real one for people living under existing flight paths, and in areas where new flight paths are likely. Now villages 20 miles out to the east from Gatwick have formed an action group to campaign against Gatwick’s expansion plans. The Parish Councils of Chiddingstone, Hever, Leigh and Penshurst have formed the High Weald Parish Councils Aviation Action Group. There is also a new, and highly active, group at Bidborough, BEAG. At a meeting on 17th June in Tunbridge Wells the noise problem of existing an new flights paths was discussed. Local people fear a new Gatwick ‘Superhighway’ route across their area, with some 350 planes per day – all the aircraft arriving at Gatwick from the south – in a concentrated stream above West Kent most of the year from 06:30-11:30 hours without respite. There is real opposition to the noise nuisance, and reduction in the quality of life, of thousands from the flight paths. There is also real concern about the noise’s negative impact on the tourism industries of West Kent – such as the unique and historically valuable Hever Castle and Penshurst Place.
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EasyJet CEO still has no details of the practical economics of a Heathrow or Gatwick runway
In an interview, by Buying Business Travel, with Caroline McCall, the CEO of EasyJet she said Heathrow is an expensive airport, which is why they do not fly from there. On Gatwick’s and Heathrow’s bids for runway expansion she says: “We’ve seen none of the economics behind either of those visions. Inevitably it will be the airlines and therefore the passengers, that will fund this. Therefore, it’s a very, very big decision for Easyjet – because any increase in passenger fares is something that affects our low-fare proposition”….”We make £7 profit per seat – that’s it. We’ve raised that from £4.50 over the last four years. I think Heathrow are talking around £15 billion, Gatwick are talking around £7-8 billion. If you think about the price per passenger for that, you can see we have to be really, really careful about any capacity going into either airport, and before we take a view on it, we have to understand the economics.” And they want to focus on more business travellers: “because we know we get higher yields.”
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Standard reports that “Lib-Dems ready to drop Gatwick runway ban from election plans”
The Evening Standard reports that the LibDems are set to use their election manifesto to open the door to a 2nd runway at Gatwick while still opposing a 3rd runway at Heathrow. The Standard says the party is moving towards scrapping its blanket ban on airport expansion in the South-East. “It could be replaced with a series of tests on climate change and local pollution, as well as on levels of noise suffered by communities around airports.” (Whatever that is meant to mean). The process of writing their election manifesto is being overseen by MP David Laws. It is still at the committee stage of drawing up key policies to be put to members for approval at the LibDem conference in the autumn. A “senior LibDem” is quoted as saying: “We will not endorse an expansion in airport capacity which would increase current noise pollution for the hundreds of thousands of residents living beneath the flight path, or which would break the Committee on Climate Change’s recommendations on aviation, which are needed to meet our carbon reduction targets.” (The CCC targets are rather weak and permit a new runway, with various provisos).
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Surrey and Sussex MPs oppose Gatwick runway ‘disaster’
Five MPs have begun a campaign against the building of a 2nd Gatwick runway. The Conservative MPs, who represent Sussex, Surrey and Kent constituencies, said the scheme for the airport near Crawley would be “a disaster” for communities and the environment – and there was “serious local concern” at the plan. Reigate MP Crispin Blunt, one of the members of the newly-formed Gatwick Coordination Group, said: “If Gatwick expands in the way that’s planned, it will need many tens of thousands of new people working there, and they are all going to need somewhere to live. The airport at the moment are providing a preposterous suggestion that these people are largely going to come from existing communities in Croydon and Brighton. Well I’m afraid that’s just simply not the case.” Mr Blunt also said no new railway line had been proposed and the London to Brighton commuter line was already “the busiest commuter line in the country” and at capacity. The other 4 MPs behind the campaign are Sir Paul Beresford, Sir Nicholas Soames, Sir John Stanley, and Charles Hendry, MP for Wealden. Crawley Conservative MP Henry Smith said he declined to endorse the press release.
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MPs initiate “Gatwick Coordination Group” – saying 2nd runway is not in the local or national interest
MPs Crispin Blunt, Sir Paul Beresford, Rt Hon Sir Nicholas Soames, Rt Hon Sir John Stanley, and Charles Hendry have formed the Gatwick Coordination Group. The Group is established to represent the serious local concern at the plan for a 2nd runway. The MPs’ group released a statement saying they believe a 2nd Gatwick runway would be a disaster for the surrounding communities and environment. They say the level of development, associated with an airport serving nearly three times as many passengers as it does now, would devastate the local environment and leave the UK with its major airport in the wrong place. Also that there is no adequate plan yet presented to provide the necessary infrastructure, of all types, to support this development. “The size of the Gatwick site only lends itself to a single runway airport, serving as a sensible, competitive alternate to London’s main hub airport. While they pursue that objective, Gatwick Airport Limited will have our support, but this proposal is not in the local interest, nor is it in the national interest, and this group will work to prove that case.”
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Gatwick hopes its claim will be believed that area’s road network will ‘better than or the same’ with 2nd runway
Gatwick airport’s publicity machine is saying the area’s road network would be left ‘better than or the same’ if a second runway was built at Gatwick. It is claiming its planned infrastructure improvements will make it ‘road and rail ready’ by 2021 for a new runway. And “with no additional cost to the taxpayer.” They want to “create a regional transport hub to help drive economic growth across the entire area.” Works on a new junction on the A24 are due to start now and could last 18 months, while roadworks have been ongoing on the A23 near Handcross since 2011. Gatwick’s spokesman, Hugh Sumner, said of the local road network’s ability to cope with any additional strain: “Our commitment is we are going to leave the road systems working better than or the same in 2050.” But the Gatwick Area Conservation Campaign (GACC), which opposes a 2nd runway, questioned the contents of the transport document. Brendon Sewill, chair of GACC, said: “The document published by [Gatwick Airport Limited] contains 10% inaccuracies, 20% inconsistencies, and 50% wishful thinking.” TfL appreciate the huge strain a new Gatwick runway will place on surface transport networks, which Gatwick is attempting to gloss over.
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Gatwick’s head of corporate affairs and lobbying, James Colman, leaving – no successor yet
James Colman joined Gatwick in April 2012 as their chief lobbyist, to promote their second runway bid. He is now leaving. His title was Corporate Affairs and Sustainability Director. Previously he was at British Gas where he was Head of Communications. The airport website blurb says of him: “He has a wealth of corporate communications experience, including 14 years working with blue-chip companies (eg John Lewis Partnership and PepsiCo.) and organisations across the UK, Europe and globally, mainly in the FMCG, retail and energy sectors. The Telegraph’s City Diary says he is “credited with playing a “key role” in getting the Gatwick bid off the ground” …. and he “has packed his bags for an – as yet unnamed – new destination.” Mr Colman’s successor has not yet been found, but a Gatwick spokesman said the recruitment process is “under way”. In February 2013 Gatwick brought in Fishburn Hedges and the London Communications Agency (LCA) on an integrated PR and public affairs brief, as part of its second runway lobbying.
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Residents entitled to cheaper parking at Gatwick Airport
11.6.2014
Residents close to Gatwick Airport could park at the airport 250 times a year for just £20 under a new scheme. Gatwick’s new resident discount scheme, which has already launched, allows those living in the RH, GU, BN and TN postcodes to park at the airport for 20 minutes 250 times a year for the one-off annual payment. Gatwick chiefs claim the scheme, which allows three cars to be registered to one account, saves residents the equivalent of a £730 a year in car park fees. They want to attract people who pick up regularly from the airport. Something of a sweetener for local residents, as part of the airport’s PR campaign for runway?
http://www.surreymirror.co.uk/Residents-perk-use-car-park/story-21188167-detail/story.html
Level playing field on transport costs vital to proper assessment of runway options – says TfL
The issue of surface access to airports was the subject of the RunwaysUK conference on 2nd June. Michèle Dix, planning director of Transport for London, said that the costs for surface access for each of the runway options must be assessed against a level playing field of criteria. Michèle said it was vital that estimates by runway promoters reflected that actual needs of transport in the capital. “You need to compare like with like. What are the true and full costs of accommodating this additional demand? If airports are placing a greater demand on the network then we need a greater transport provision.” The Thames estuary proposal had not compared the surface access needs, like for like.
She estimated that comparable “optimal” investment level of investment needed – the total package of transport schemes required to deliver an optimal level of surface transport access – for Heathrow was £17.6bn, Gatwick £12.4bn and an Inner Thames Estuary airport £19.1bn.
Even just “high” provision, rather than optimal, would need £7 billion for Heathrow, £11.6 billion for Gatwick; and £10.9 billion for the Inner Thames Estuary option.
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New UK runway consent unlikely before March 2020 at the earliest, due to necessary National Policy Statement etc
Speaking at the RunwaysUK Surface Access debate on 2nd June, Oliver Mulvey of the Airports Commission Secretariat confirmed that final go-ahead by the government for any new runway would take at least a year following publication of the Commission’s final report after the General Election in 2015. Planning consent for a new runway is unlikely to come before March 2020 (with an election in May 2020) despite government efforts to streamline the controversial planning process using the Airports Commission. It would take the new government at least a year to produce the necessary National Policy Statement on runways. It might take 2 years to agree the NPS. After that, Mr Mulvey confirmed there are 2 possible routes: “The first is a planning application under the 2008 Planning Act. The other is the Hybrid Bill route, as for HS2. Both have their own risk and costs associated with them. ….All our dates show the middle of the next decade [2025] as the earliest a new runway could open.” The planning process for a NSIP (Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project) – which a runway would be – is itself a long process.
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East Sussex County Council backs second Gatwick runway
3.6.2014
East Sussex County Council has given its backing to the building of a 2nd runway and new terminal at Gatwick. The council pledged its support for the airport’s option, for a terminal and new runway built one kilometre south of the current site, to be used for both landings and take-offs. Councillors said the development would create jobs and provide a significant boost to the local economy, and “encourage inward investment.” Councillor Rupert Simmons said it “will support our key priority of economic growth in East Sussex by providing better links for business to trade across the globe”. It will also attract more tourists (in bound or out bound not stated).
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-sussex-27678736
Gatwick claims that with better public transport it will be “road & rail ready” for 2nd runway by 2021
Gatwick has produced a glossy document setting out how it will have fantastic road and rail links in place by 2021, that there will be no road or rail congestion, and everyone will have smoother and easier journeys. And at no cost to anyone. There are some stunning omissions. Most things that are inconvenient are just left out. They say “Gatwick will increase the cost efficiency in the rail industry by filling off-peak trains as well as providing passengers for trains operating in the opposite direction to peak commuter services. While it is estimated that, on the busiest trains, only 5% of travellers will be air passengers, the overall benefit they will bring will be around £3 billion in additional fare income.” Gatwick says: “Junction 9 of the M23 … will need to be upgraded to cater for expansion. Gatwick has committed to funding a doubling of this motorway junction capacity.” The only thing Gatwick has said it will pay for. Also: “we have re-designed the local road network to be no busier than it is today, even after a general increase in demand, which will lessen local noise and air quality effects of background traffic, benefit economic activity and the quality of life of those using and living along the affected roads.” Really? Who writes this stuff?
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Heathrow and Gatwick set out their rival claims at RunwaysUK conference on airport surface access
The organisation, RunwaysUK, which describes itself as a neutral platform for debate on the rival runway schemes, held an interesting and productive half day conference on surface access to airports. There were accounts by Heathrow, Gatwick, Heathrow Hub and the Thames estuary scheme proposers of their plans for road and rail access, as well as contributions by TfL, Network Rail and others with an interest. It is recognised that adding a runway in the south east would come with immense transport strains on existing transport infrastructure. In order to meet requirements on the amount of passengers (and staff) using the airport to be by public transport, the airports know they cannot depend on road access alone. The pressure of extra passengers on networks that are already stretched, especially at peak times, is recognised – though Gatwick and Heathrow do their best to say their passengers will add little, and merely make rail services more profitable out of peak hours. Vexed issues remain of how much the taxpayer pays for transport services the airports benefit from, and what the cost of added congestion to road and rail services – from millions of extra air passengers being added – would cost the economy.
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GACC calls on all councils around Gatwick to hold public meetings on flight path plans
Gatwick airport is consulting on future changes to flight paths. The consultation is long, complicated and almost incomprehensible to the average lay person. It is very hard indeed for those to be over flown, with no experience of aircraft noise, to understand. The proposals could have a serious impact on many towns and villages around the airport, and potentially affect an area from Guildford to Tunbridge Wells and from Petworth to Sevenoaks. Now GACC has called on all parish councils and town councils around Gatwick airport to hold public meetings to enable residents to understand and discuss the new flight paths proposed by the airport. If the parish or town is not affected by the new flight paths, then GACC suggest that a meeting should be held to discuss the proposals for a new runway. John Byng, Vice chairman of GACC, said: ‘Many people are telling us that the flight path document is difficult to understand. The proposals affect each area differently, so we believe that local meetings are the best answer.’ GACC will be asking for a simpler version of the consultation to be sent to all those under the new flight path, and for maps showing the full length of the new flight paths, not merely below 4,000 feet.
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Francis Maude: No to a 2nd Gatwick runway
Francis Maude is MP for Horsham. He says his constituency benefits enormously from its close proximity to Gatwick Airport, which is a key part of the regional and local economy. He is adamant that Gatwick should flourish – but only as a single runway airport. Francis Maude is a supporter of GACC and chairs a group of local authorities and MPs who are all against a 2nd runway. He says another runway would require a new town the size of Crawley to be built in the area. There would be serious implications for already struggling local infrastructure. A 2nd runway would have huge environmental impacts with noise pollution the greatest. There would need to be build many more houses in an area where local councils are already struggling to meet the targets. The paradox of that being the provision of these houses would ensure that many more families would be subject to the noise pollution. Francis says: “I will continue with other West Sussex MPS to ensure that the voice of local people is heard throughout the decision making process.”
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Gatwick flight path changes revealed as 12 week airspace consultation launched
Gatwick airport has started another consultation on changes to its flight paths. This will last for 12 weeks and end on 15th August. The earlier “consultation” done by Gatwick, that ended on 15th May did not include any flight path details, which many who attended the exhibitions found frustrating. Gatwick’s consultation is complex and not intended to be easy for a non-expert to understand. It is rich in acronyms and jargon, that is not properly explained. One could conjecture that making the consultation so hard to understand is deliberate. At its heart the consultation is about Gatwick managing to get more planes using its current flight paths, with changes to get planes taking off separating earlier, so more planes can use the runway with shorter intervals between them. There remains the issue of whether the noise should be concentrated down narrow routes, or dispersed in “swathes” of several kilometres. The Noise Preferential Routes, for planes below 3,000 feet or 4,000 feet, are meant to be routes where the least noise nuisance is caused. However, planes above 4,000 feet are still a real noise irritation. Gatwick’s proposals for more planes on more routes will mean many more people being exposed to a lot more plane noise, either way.
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Boris claims there is a ‘political fix around Gatwick’ while he makes last pitch to Airports Commission for estuary airport
Boris has now submitted his dossier to the Airports Commission, in support of his plan for a massive hub airport in the Thames estuary. The Commission had given Boris extra time in which to address critical questions concerning his plans. Boris claimed that the government was edging towards giving Gatwick the go-ahead, saying there was “a political fix around Gatwick”. He said, in all parties: “A lot of money is moving off Heathrow and on to Gatwick. Heathrow is closer to the answer but not deliverable. Gatwick is more deliverable but it is not the right answer.” He said, expanding Gatwick was “a sham, a snare, a delusion”. Boris hopes his estuary airport could be built for about £25 billion, with £25bn more for surrounding transport infrastructure, and £14 billion more to buy and close Heathrow, which would be redeveloped as a new suburb. Boris makes the usual claims about jobs and growth of the economy, and gives no thought at all to the fact that two new runways cannot be fitted within UK carbon targets. Boris’s evidence from the CAA shows a 3rd Heathrow runway would bring the number of people exposed to severe aircraft noise to more than a million. Utterly unacceptable.
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Over 4,000 take part in Frankfurt’s 100th protest evening – including supporters from Heathrow and Gatwick
The 4th runway at Frankfurt airport was opened in October 2011. The flightpaths for this runway overfly thousands of residents in the Frankfurt, many of whom had not previously been overflown. They suddenly found the noise of aircraft overhead every few minutes, relentlessly (day after day, week after week) for most of the day intolerable. Other areas were also affected by changes to flight paths. Ever since the opening, the people of Frankfurt have absolutely refused to accept this, and have campaigned continuously and relentlessly. They hold unique and remarkable protests, almost every Monday night, in the airport terminal. These are attended by well over 1,000 people, every time. On 19th May, the 100th airport terminal protest was held, with around 4,000 (maybe more) protesters. Some campaigners from the Heathrow and Gatwick campaigns went out (by train) to show solidarity and share this remarkable achievement with their German friends. John Stewart, Chair of HACAN and of AirportWatch, addressed the protest, saying they were making aviation history, and the tenacity, persistence and determination of the opposition to Frankfurt flights is increasingly a matter of concern to the aviation industry.
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GACC says the public misled by Gatwick’s “consultation” – with far higher figures in airport’s submission to Airports Commission
GACC (the Gatwick Area Conservation Campaign) has now studied the new runway plans announced by Gatwick Airport Ltd on 13 May. Brendon Sewill, chairman of GACC said: “They are horrendous – much larger in scale than in the recent consultation. The proposals will so infuriate local people that they will be determined to oppose the runway scheme at every stage. Any hopes that the airport may have had of building a new runway on time will have disappeared.” The new plans are set out in a 3,200 page document that has been sent to the Airports Commission but which has not been published. The Gatwick press summary shows that the new airport would be bigger than anything previously envisaged. The maximum number of passengers per year has gone up to 97 million compared to a maximum of 87 million in the consultation. That would make Gatwick much bigger than Heathrow today (72 million in 2013), and nearly three times as big as Gatwick today (35 million). The new plans show utter disdain for the 6,000 people who have visited the runway exhibitions during the past months “consultation”, and for the thousands more who have responded online. It is clear that Gatwick’s owners had already decided on their preferred option. GACC has been proved 100% correct it was a phoney consultation.
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Heathrow and Gatwick battle it out in the media, but is either environmentally deliverable?
Gatwick and Heathrow have been trying to get the best publicity they can for their runway, while simultaneously having a dig at each other. But does either deliver on environmental issues? Many of the new ideas, such as noise compensation schemes and a congestion charge, aim to tackle these impacts but much of what has been proposed either misses the key questions or makes impressive promises on issues that are outside the control of airports. Heathrow’s only contribution towards cutting carbon emissions appears to be using some renewable energy in its new terminal and incentivising efficient aircraft. They remain silent on inconvenient issues. Giving the go-ahead to any of the runway options would mean UK carbon emissions would have to be cut elsewhere, either though imposing limits on regional airports, or expecting other sectors and industries to deliver near impossible emissions reductions. UK Aviation has been given a very lax emissions target of only having to keep its CO2 emissions to 2005 levels by 2050. The assumption that this means an increase of 60% in passengers, or 50% in fligths depends on carbon cuts in line with the rate of growth. It is by no means clear those carbon efficiencies will, or can, be made.
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Gatwick submits its 2nd runway plans to Airports Commission – little detail published, but loads of spin
Gatwick is submitting its proposal for a 2nd runway to the Airports Commission. Unlike Heathrow it has not produced a glossy version for the public, but says it has produced a 3,200 page “evidence-based” report. They claim it would produce more economic benefit to the UK and not cost the taxpayer anything. By contrast the KPMG report done in December for the Airports Commission said it might cost the taxpayer up to £17.7 billion. Gatwick claims: “The economic benefit to the UK of this enhanced competition will be £40 billion more than Heathrow’s 3rd runway.” Gatwick tries to make out their runway is an obvious choice, and say of their rival Heathrow: “Why tunnel part of the busiest motorway in Europe – the M25 – causing serious traffic disruption, when you can build on land already set aside for expansion?” They say: “The Gatwick proposal is best placed to align with key future trends – including continued market share gains by Low Cost Carriers, the spread of new technology hub-busting aircraft such as the Boeing 787 and Airbus A350, and the rapid rise of new hubs in the Middle East and Far East.” Loads of positive spin, absolutely ignoring all the negatives associated with building an airport the size of Heathrow in semi-rural Sussex.
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Gatwick chairman says 2nd runway would benefit UK by just £667 million per year cf. Heathrow
The day before Heathrow will publicise its runway plans, the Chairman of Gatwick has done his bit for Gatwick’s PR. He has told the Telegraph that he claims the economic benefits of choosing Gatwick’s 2nd runway plans over Heathrow expansion would be £40 billion over the next 60 years. (That is a very tiny sum indeed per year. It is about £0.67 billion ( ie.£667 million) /year benefit …. about £13 per passenger (with 50 million passengers)? The alleged Gatwick benefit is massively eclipsed by the tourism deficit in 2012 of some £13.8 billion per year link to which Gatwick contributes heftily). Sir Roy says (which is quite true) that Heathrow is a “politically toxic” monopoly and he obligingly sets out a lot of good reasons why a new runway should not, and cannot, be built at Heathrow. Heathrow retaliates by saying their new runway would make air fares cheaper … on and on it goes. Who can envy Sir Howard Davies his job? Sir Roy McNulty of course conveniently ignores the estimate by KPMG link for the Airports Commission that a new Gatwick runway would need as much as £17.7 billion in public funding, much of it stumped up by people who do not even fly, or use Gatwick. Kinda negates the alleged benefits…. .
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Gatwick 2nd runway aircraft noise could threaten Hever Castle – it harms the visitor experience
Hever Castle – the childhood home of Anne Boleyn – near Edenbridge in Kent fears increased aircraft noise, from Gatwick planes, could deter people from visiting the attraction. The chief executive of Hever, Duncan Leslie, said: “If they increased aeroplanes I would be surprised if this business survived long term.” The noise is already bad, though Gatwick is 21 miles away, and a 2nd runway could make the situation worse. Anne Boleyn, Henry VIII’s second wife, lived at Hever, which dates back to 1270. Th relentless aircraft noise, with planes some 3 – 4,000 feet overhead, detracts from the experience of Hever, and for much of the day with a westerly wind, there is a plane about once a minute. Alastair McDermid, Gatwick’s airports commission director, said a new runway would be to the south of the existing one and would not necessarily increase noise at Hever. Gatwick is holding a consultation at present, and has done 16 exhibitions about it. However, they have chosen not to give any details on flight paths, which has caused a lot of annoyance. Click here to view full story…
Woodland Trust highlights loss of 3 areas of ancient woodland for Gatwick runway
Though much of the area that would be flattened and covered in concrete and tarmac for a 2nd Gatwick runway – and associated building – would be fields and grassland, there are also three areas of ancient woodland. The Woodland Trust has assessed the woods that are threatened and found that they are significant and have important local biodiversity value. The current Gatwick consultation on its runway options (there is only one of the options that the airport wants, and the consultation has no proper way for respondents to say they oppose any new runway) barely recognises the impact a new runway will have on this irreplaceable habitat. The fact it will also wipe out the last remaining ecological network for wildlife around the whole of the south side of the airport is ignored. The Woodland Trust is urging people to respond to the consultation, either by just saying NO to any of the options, or giving more detail in the response boxes to reflect the proposed destruction of these valuable bits of high quality woodland. Click here to view full story…
Gatwick Runway Exhibitions a huge success – for the opposition!
Gatwick Airport Ltd have held 15 exhibitions to explain their runway proposals to the public. Over 6,000 people in total will have attended but, according to local community group, GACC, some 75-80% of those visiting the exhibitions were opposed to any new runway. GACC volunteers manned a ‘picket line’ outside each exhibition, handing out leaflets and car stickers, and recruiting new members. According the GACC chairman Brendon Sewill, “people were coming out of the hall horrified at what they had seen, and queuing up to join GACC.” People were frustrated by the lack of key information on aspects of the plans, such as noise and supporting infrastructure. At Edenbridge the highly respected and respectable MP for Tonbridge, Sir John Stanley, organised a mass demonstration against aircraft noise and against any new runway. At Horsham around 200 people marched through the town to protest at the new flight path over Warnham and north Horsham, and to oppose any new runway. The Gatwick exhibitions have been helpful, in that they have alerted the public and have demonstrated the strength of feeling against the proposals. Click here to view full story…
Gatwick runway opponents march through Horsham
More than 120 people marched through Horsham town centre on Saturday, May 3, to protest against a new runway at Gatwick Airport and new flight paths. They set off from the carfax to the Drill Hall, where Gatwick was holding one of its 16 public exhibitions, showing the public the runways plans, some of which they will be submitting to the Airports Commission by 16th May. Communities Against Gatwick Noise Emissions (CAGNE), with the help of Gatwick Area Conservation Campaign (GACC) and Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) Sussex, organised the walk through Horsham town centre and their attendance outside the exhibition. CAGNE and GACC have between them had a presence at all of the exhibitions, and given out information to those attending on why they believe firmly that there should not be a new runway – due to the social and environmental damage it would do the area, for miles around the airport in all directions.
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“Gatwick Obviously” poster subvertised into ” Gatwick Seriously?”
29.4.2014 “ A new runway at Gatwick could be ready by 2025, bringing huge economic benefits to its owners, while you get more traffic, more noise and a new town the size of Crawley. And they say it’s the obvious choice.” 
Spot the differences. 
(Box 4 refers to the only way, on the Gatwick consultation form, it is possible to express opposition to any of the airport’s runway schemes).
History Group appalled at possible demolition of ancient buildings around Gatwick
April 28, 2014 On Saturday 26th April the Charlwood History Group visited a number of fine historic buildings (18 of them are listed) which would be demolished if a new runway were to be built at Gatwick. The group visited the area which would be demolished, or made virtually uninhabitable, if a 2nd runway was to be built. The loss of these wonderful old buildings would be very sad, and a travesty. The Chairman of the Charlwood Society said: “If this were ever to happen it would be a tragedy for our local district, and for our heritage. We must see that it never happens.” Of the 18 listed buildings, there are 5 that are listed by English Heritage as ‘Grade 2 star’ which puts them among the 6% most important historic buildings in England. Some of the stunning and important buildings under threat are Charlwood House, Rowley, the Beehive, Hyders and the Church of St Michael and All Angels. Henry Smith, MP for Crawley, joined the party for part of the tour. Click here to view full story…
Does Lord Bradshaw reflect Lib Dem aviation policy?
April 28, 2014 The Evening Standard has reported that Lord William Bradshaw, who co-chairs the little known Liberal Democrat parliamentary committee on transport has said he backs a Gatwick 2nd runway. Lord Bradshaw, who is a former railwayman, has said Gatwick should be allowed a 2nd runway if “it pays for an upgrade of the Brighton-to- London rail line” … and because it offers “real improvements on the rail journey to London” for the residents of Sussex. Eh? A runway to improve rail services?? The Liberal Democrats have traditionally said they would not back a new runway at Heathrow or Gatwick. Their policy has been somewhat muddled and confusing over the past few years, with talk of a hub, and no net new runways. However, in the past they have been consistent in saying that the UK’s carbon targets are at risk if aviation is allowed to expand. They may now be wavering, and no longer to be trusted in their rejection of new runways. Nick Clegg’s party now says it wants to see reassurances about environmental considerations – whether carbon emissions or local air and noise pollution – written into the final Davies report. A much weaker position. Click here to view full story…
Head of Gatwick Diamond tries to make out that a “silent majority” want a 2nd runway (they just don’t bother to say so)
April 25, 2014 The Gatwick Diamond is a business organisation, whose mission is to boost business in a large area around Gatwick, in all directions. They do not appear to have much environmental awareness, and have a blinkered approach of backing anything that might bring “growth.” Needless to say, they give their unwavering, and uncritical, support for a 2nd Gatwick runway. There are self-interest motives for many of their members in doing so. The airport has organised a recent spate of exhibitions across the area, promoting its runway, and with a “consultation” (which gives no proper option for those responding to say NO to a runway). Despite the huge amount of money it has cost, it appears Gatwick has found the majority attending are either against its plans, or deeply sceptical. This is confirmed by the local community group, GACC, which has had a presence outside each exhibition. Now the head of the Gatwick Diamond, Jeremy Taylor, has said there is huge backing from a “silent majority” for the runway, but they just have not expressed it. Jeremy – this is how democracy works. If people do not turn up to vote for an election, it does not matter what they might have thought, sitting at home. If you don’t vote, your vote does not get counted. Governments are not elected into power because somehow we manage to divine the views of those not voting. Click here to view full story…
Gatwick employs high profile PR man Godric Smith (ex Tony Blair, Olympics, BBC) to boost runway campaign
April 24, 2014 Gatwick airport is spending a lot of money (the figure of £10 million for their PR budget has been mentioned, but this may be an under-estimate) on their lobbying to win over key hearts and minds to their runway plan. Their new campaign, with glossy adverts on the underground, large numbers of public presentations etc “Gatwick Obviously” is spending lavishly. Now Gatwick has announced that they are employing a high profile PR consultant, Godric Smith, to help them in their political battle against Heathrow, for the runway. Godric used to work as spokesman for Tony Blair. He then worked on communications for the Olympics. He was also brought in to the BBC (part time, at £150,000 per year) to sort out their bad publicity issues. Godric Smith has his own consultancy called Incorporated London. Gatwick already has existing relationships for public relations with Fishburn and London Communications Agency. Godric Smith is said to have extensive Whitehall experience and “first-class contacts across the spectrum and a very good understanding of how government works”. The airport is also reviewing its digital and consumer agencies. Click here to view full story…
Mole Valley MP, Sir Paul Beresford, says we cannot allow the massive environmental & other damage a 2nd Gatwick runway would bring
April 22, 2014 Sir Paul Beresford, the MP for Mole Valley, has commented on the Gatwick airport push for a new runway that “a 2nd runway has no place in Surrey.” He says: “We are being asked to turn our attention to the mechanics of where a 2nd runway at Gatwick would be positioned and the exact way it would be operated. These questions are not on the forefront of the minds of my constituents. They are asking about the beautiful countryside which would be lost, the dangerous risk of flooding which would be exacerbated, the noise pollution which would become unbearable and the overpopulation of our villages. Gatwick have never provided satisfactory answers to these questions and, until they do, they must expect Mole Valley residents to keep asking them.” He added: “[Constituents think] the airport is big enough as it is, and we simply cannot allow the massive environmental and other damage a second runway would bring.” It would “be the equivalent of dumping an Atlantic City-sized urban sprawl onto the woodlands and fields of Surrey.” The Gatwick consultation ends on 16th May. Click here to view full story…
Hundreds turn out for first week of Gatwick 2nd runway consultation meetings
April 16, 2014 Gatwick Airport’s public consultation about its 2nd runway plans have continued to draw hundreds of people to meetings and sparked a renewed protest campaign. While local residents have packed consultation meetings the Gatwick Airport Conservation Campaign (GACC) has renewed its call for the proposals to be dropped with a new drive called “Gatwick’s Big Enough.” GACC has attacked the consultation itself as a “phoney” – with no proper option to say NO. New action groups have formed against the second runway proposals, in the wake of the formation of CAGNE. Gatwick Airport says at the Crawley exhibition there were 690 people; 350 at Rusper; about 370 in Smallfield; 340 in Ifield, 300 in Lingfield; 275 in Felbridge; and around 180 as far away as Epsom. GACC volunteers have been giving out leaflets and recruiting members outside the runway exhibitions. A high proportion of those attending the exhibitions are stunned by the scale of development, puzzled why there are no flight path maps, and opposed to the massive changes planned to a wide area of Surrey and Sussex. Click here to view full story…
Letter from a Gatwick flight path trial sufferer: “Home like bizarre noise experiment”
April 14, 2014 In a heart-felt letter to a local paper in Sussex, a resident who now finds herself – without warning – under a “trial” flight path from Gatwick airport describes how it is affecting her, and her means of earning her living at home. She says the planes start flying overhead before 6am, and continue to do so about every 5 minutes, or less, most of the day. She says, in desperation: “It’s like your home has been turned into some sort of bizarre noise experiment. Where you have no control. On some days you’re OK. The noise isn’t too bad. And on other days – it’s like getting an electric shock, every few minutes. Where you have no control. And it’s not just you – it’s your family as well …. everyone is tired, and ratty and distracted. And annoyed that they didn’t sleep well.” Part of her work requires running a webinair, which is now interrupted by the plane noise. “That’s my work. That’s how I make a living. And I can’t even rely on the peace and quiet of my own home to be able to run my own business.” Click here to view full story…
GACC launch its “Gatwick’s Big Enough” campaign against any 2nd runway
April 14, 2014 The Gatwick Area Conservation Campaign, GACC, has launched its campaign against a new Gatwick runway under the slogan “Gatwick’s Big Enough.” It has been carefully chosen to show that there is no opposition to the airport as it is, only to the plans to double its size. Thousands of car stickers have been posted to members with this logo. The campaign has also been attending all the Gatwick Airport exhibitions around the area, and has produced a new Fact File. This sets out the information that the airport is not telling people, on the actual impacts a new runway would have, in terms of noise, stress on infrastructure and public services, total change in the character of the area even some distance away, and deteriorating quality of life for many. In GACC’s experience, having been to several Gatwick exhibitions, “It is our impression that many people go in with an open mind but come out alarmed at the scale of what is proposed” and ‘My impression was that the overwhelming majority {in Crawley} were against a new runway” and many people “were irritated by the lack of information on flight paths.” Click here to view full story…
Gatwick’s 1st runway consultation exhibition – met with spirited opposition by those to be badly affected
April 5, 2014 Gatwick airport has started a period of 6 weeks of consultation on its plans for a 2nd runway. The consultation is something of a PR exercise, as the Airports Commission has only short listed the wide spaced runway option. Gatwick Airport is, for some reason best known to itself, including the narrow spaced runway (which it does not want) in the consultation options. There is a series of exhibitions planned, by Gatwick airport, in a number of towns and villages over the coming weeks, with the first today in Crawley – the town which might be the worst affected by a 2nd runway. There was spirited opposition by people fighting plans for a new runway, and especially those who have recently found themselves under a new “trial” flight path. Feedback from the exhibition was that it was well attended, by several hundred people, many of whom appeared to be against a new runway. One of their questions was how to fill in the forms, to clearly convey their opposition to any runway – there is just one box people can tick, on the last page, in Section D, “None of these options.” Click here to view full story… 
GACC describes Gatwick consultation as “plush and bogus” – it gives no proper chance to say “no” to a new runway
April 4, 2014 The consultation published by Gatwick Airport today is described by GACC (the Gatwick Area Conservation Campaign) as ‘plush but bogus.’ It is plush because no expense has been spared in an attempt to make a new Gatwick runway look inevitable. But it makes no economic or environmental sense to build a new Gatwick runway when Stansted is not forecast to be full until around 2040. It is bogus because the Airports Commission has already ruled out Option 1, the close-parallel runway. GACC’s objections remain as strong as ever. They will campaign vigorously against any new runway. The consultation document contains no maps showing future flight paths – which is an issue of huge significance to local people. It also ignores the inconvenient issue of necessary increases in landing fees, to pay for a runway + terminal. The consultation is deeply flawed, as it gives no proper option to oppose any new runway. There is merely one small option of “None of these options” buried in its section D. That is difficult to find and somewhat confusing (it could mean a preference for some other runway location). A proper consultation would have given the public a straightforward chance to say ‘No’. Click here to view full story…
Gatwick consultation published: A proper consultation would have given the public a straightforward chance to say ‘No’
April 4, 2014 Gatwick Airport Limited (GAL) has put forward 3 options for a 2nd runway at Gatwick and is now asking for comment from the public to its consultation. They key omission in their consultation is a proper option to say NO to any new runway. A proper consultation would have given the public a straightforward chance to say ‘No’ at the start of the response form. As it is, there is a small box buried in section D with the option of “None of these options”. Gatwick is asking people to choose between a narrow spaced runway (something the airport does not want, as it would not be practical – so it cannot be considered a serious option) and whether a wide spaced runway(1045 metres south of the existing runway) should be used for both landings and take offs, or for just landings or take offs, at one time. The Airports Commission has effectively already ruled out the narrow spaced runway, so its inclusion in the consultation seems to be a bit of a PR exercise. The purpose of the consultation is to help Gatwick get their runway plans approved, and if possible, keep public opposition to a minimum. Consultation ends 16th May (which is the date all runway proposals must be submitted to the Airports Commission). Click here to view full story…
New campaign group – CAGNE – formed to protest against Gatwick Airport noise
March 31, 2014 A new campaign group has formed in the Gatwick area, protesting against aircraft noise. Gatwick airport has been attempting to get good PR by claiming to do more than other airports to manage its aircraft noise. However, infuriated residents living under a newly created departures flight path have formed the new group, called Communities Against Gatwick Noise and Emissions (CAGNE). It already has more than 300 frustrated members across Sussex, who are particularly angry at new flightpaths, of which the airport deliberately gave no prior notice. People at the villages of Rusper and Warnham, west of Crawley – which used to be quiet – have been horrified to find themselves subjected to relentless aircraft noise. Sally Pavey, a CAGNE member, said: “This is bringing misery to thousands of people and destroying the tranquility of parts of Sussex. It is wrong that all we can do is telephone the answer phone at Gatwick Airport to complain. ….we do not know if each complaint will be logged separately or if our address is only logged once.” CAGNE has launched an online petition calling on the DfT to stop the new flightpaths. The usual blandishment from the airport was that they “continue to take a responsible approach to noise reduction and mitigation.” Click here to view full story…
easyJet says it would fly from Heathrow, “if it was right for us” debunking Gatwick’s Heathrow myth
March 29, 2014 Gatwick airport, in its bid to try to pursuade the powers-that-be of its suitability as the site of a new runway, has often said that the low cost airlines would not fly from Heathrow. However, easyJet has now said that it would consider flying from an expanded Heathrow. Carolyn McCall, the chief executive of easyJet, said it would look at flying from Heathrow in future “if it was right for us”, and it if wasn’t too expensive. Gatwick claims that the increase in demand for air travel will be for short haul flights, mainly to Europe or countries adjacent to Europe. Heathrow claims the demand for air travel in future will be long haul. According to Gatwick’s chief executive, Stewart Wingate, Heathrow is inaccessible for low-cost airlines and charter carriers due to its high landing charges. But Ms McCall points out that easyJet already flies to and from other hub airports in Europe, such as Schiphol, Rome Fiumicino and Paris Charles de Gaulle. Though Heathrow has high landing charges, so do the other European hub airports. Ms McCall made her comments shortly after easyJet announced a 7-year pricing deal with Gatwick and revealed it is in discussions to take over the airport’s north terminal, potentially forcing out British Airways. It made no mention of a 2nd Gatwick runway. Click here to view full story…
Gatwick hopes noise compensation pledge will help it win battle for a new runway
March 28, 2014 As competition hots up to persuade the Airports Commission, and ultimately Parliament, on their own cases for building a new runway, Gatwick and Heathrow have both stressed the importance of dealing with the aircraft noise issue, or at least hoping people believe they are dealing with it. Gatwick has committed to pay annual compensation of around £1,000 to local households most affected by aircraft noise should it receive approval for a 2nd runway. Heathrow, meanwhile, has pointed to a [dubious] survey it commissioned from Populus that aircraft noise is only the 7th most important aspect of a London airport for Londoners. The Gatwick scheme would only pay up when a new runway starts to be used, and might affect around 4,100 households inside the 57 db(A) Leq noise contour. The compensation would not be paid to new residents choosing to relocate to the area once the runway is built. Earlier Gatwick announced plans to offer hundreds of local homes up to £3,000 towards double glazing and loft insulation to mitigate aircraft noise. This level of payment if offered at Heathrow would be vastly more expensive, by several orders of magnitude. Click here to view full story..
Behind the slogans, there was little of substance in Gatwick’s latest PR flutter
27.3.2014 (AirportWatch blog) It was slick. It was smart. It was launched in the Shard. And it was more-or-less completely ignored by the serious press the next day. They saw through Gatwick’s PR machine. Behind the slogans, there was little of substance that stood up to scrutiny. Gatwick based its case that it should get a new runway in preference to Heathrow on the fact that the predicted growth in air travel would come mostly from short-haul flights to Europe rather than long-distance flights to and from the world’s emerging economies. It argued that it was ideally suited to cater for this market as short-haul carriers would never fly from Heathrow because of the its high land changes – a claim now debunked by its golden child, easyJet: In essence Gatwick was saying its new hub, concentrating on low-cost, short-haul flights, with (hopefully) a few long-distance flights from the emerging economies thrown in, would rival Heathrow’s claims. Convinced? The Times, Guardian, Telegraph and Independent weren’t. They gave the launch next-to-no coverage. The Airports Commission has made it clear that new runways are not about the here and now, but about the future; about 2030 and beyond. What we can expect is that there will be a much increased demand from the emerging economies of the world. What we are much less certain about is the future of short-haul flights in Europe. The European Union’s Transport White Paper states that “by 2050 the majority of medium-distance passenger transport should go by rail” Today easyJet Ryanair may rule the airwaves. Tomorrow is will be Air China and Air India . Gatwick by then will have become yesterday’s airport. . Gatwick’s showy (very light on facts) website for their new PR campaign, which they are calling – somewhat pretentiously – “Gatwick Obviously” is at http://www.gatwickobviously.com/
Gatwick airport PR onslaught continues: it claims a 2nd runway would bring “Olympic-style boost”
March 26, 2014 Gatwick airport continues its PR barrage, in its attempt to be chosen to be allowed a new runway. It is arguing that the way the aviation industry will develop in future will make large hub airports obsolete. The airport claims a new runway would regenerate a swath of the South East from London to the coast and create thousands of jobs, across the Gatwick Diamond and beyond. They have hired Sir Terry Farrell to design and promote their plan, and he has said: “An extra runway at Gatwick and a new transformed airport here would provide for London – from the south, Croydon and going north – a bigger economic boost than the Olympics…..It’s an area that is waiting to have this kind of input.” He probably means there is unspoilt countryside in the area around Gatwick. The claims of benefit from a 2nd runway include promises of jobs as far away as Brighton and Hastings, and “an extra 19,000 jobs in sectors such as retail, construction and ground handling” by 2050.” At present there are about 22,000 to 25,000 jobs at Gatwick. They claim they can build the runway for £5bn to £9bn. The Airports Commission says the cost would be £10 – 13 billion including surface access improvements. Click here to view full story…
Gatwick argues against need for a hub airport – just more point-to-point flights
March 24, 2014 Gatwick is arguing that aviation is evolving to make hub airports obsolete – as the future is in more point to point flights. This is in Gatwick’s self interest, in its fight against Heathrow, to be chosen as the potential site for a new runway. Gatwick says Britain will have less need for a big hub airport like Heathrow because of the way the aviation industry is evolving, and because the rise of low-cost airlines means Britain will have ever more short-haul flights, which are mostly into Europe. Gatwick has commissioned research to back up its case, which it will present with the architect Sir Terry Farrell on 25th March. Sir Howard Davies has repeatedly made the point that the distinction is between hub and spoke, or point to point aviation models for the future – the industry is highly internally divided on this. Gatwick says a 2nd Gatwick runway would allow 10 million more passengers to fly per year by 2050 – most to Europe or near destinations – than if Heathrow were to add a 3rd runway, with its focus on lower demand, longer haul destinations. For the UK as a whole, about 70% of air passengers were on short haul trips in 2013. Click here to view full story..
Doubt about the Gatwick scheme to pay off residents affected by noise from 2nd runway – local resident tells it like it is !
March 14, 2014 Gatwick has offered, as part of its PR offensive to try to get opinion behind its 2nd runway, to pay £1,000 per year (the council tax on a Band A property) to 4,100 houses worst affected by noise, if it gets its runway. This is a very paltry sum compared to the negative impacts of the noise and disruption that would be caused. A local resident commented on the plan: “This is just a publicity stunt to try to get Crawley residents on board for a new runway. ….It sounds generous until you look at who gets it and how much we would lose….Even if we got the grant, it would take 150 years for the grant to cover the loss of value of our house. …. Gatwick Airport is trying to kid us that a new runway means lots of jobs for Crawley residents – but the jobs would attract incomers from the UK and the EU who would need new houses in an area that is desperately short of affordable homes…..We existing residents would see our carefully planned country town double in size to become a sprawling city spreading over green countryside….. I hope nobody will be fooled by Gatwick’s offer or by their promises of a golden future for Crawley.” Click here to view full story
38 Degrees petition against new flight paths trial
18.3.2014. Campaigners at the village of Warnham near Gatwick have started a petition on 38 Degrees, to ask the DfT to put a stop to the new flight path trials sponsored by Gatwick Airport and NATS that are bringing misery to thousands of people – who are now being overflown, many times per hour, by take-offs. The area was quiet in the past, and the flight path trial was not announced before it started. https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/stop-new-flight-paths-out-of-gatwick-airport
Warnham continues to suffer amid speculation about why the trial flight path was inflicted on them
March 12, 2014 The upset continues over the trial flight path from Gatwick, for take-offs, over the village of Warnham. The issue had been very badly handled by the airport, in its unsuccessful attempts to reduce the amount of complaint. Residents of Warnham feel they are just seen as “collateral damage” for the airport’s ambitions of increased profit. There is the suggestion from people in the area that the reason for the trial is that Gatwick has quietly committed to the airlines an increased number of flights over the next year. They have oversold capacity at peak travel times/dates and they cannot operationally cope if they take off using the three legally permitted take-off routes. This would mean take off delays at peak-times, which would be financially damaging to the airlines and the airport. They therefore instituted this “trial’ route to increase take-off capacity, especially at peak times, by one-third. The aim is to make this permanent. Gatwick airport is eager to show the Airports Commission that it has rising numbers of passengers and flights, to get its runway. So it has to get as much growth as it can this year. In reality, the number of flights in 2013 was lower in 2013 than in 2006, 2007, 2008 or 2009. Click here to view full story…
The cost of a new Gatwick runway – £50 extra per return flight
March 10, 2014 A new research study – ‘Who would pay for a new runway’ – examines who would pay for a new runway at Gatwick or at Heathrow. It concludes that a new runway at Gatwick would mean an increase in airport charges (landing fees, aircraft parking charges etc) per passenger from £8 at present to £33.60 – an increase of £25, or £50 per return flight. At Heathrow the increase would be from £19 per passenger to £31. The calculations are based on the estimate made by the Airports Commission that a new Gatwick runway would cost £10 – £13 billion. The local Gatwick campaign, GACC, say Gatwick often claim that a new runway at Gatwick would be cheaper than one at Heathrow. But they don’t mention that the cost would need to be borne by roughly half as many passengers at Gatwick as at Heathrow. In the past the cost of new infrastructure was met by the Government, or spread among BAA’s airports. But now all the airports are privately owned by separate companies. The cost of a Gatwick runway would have to be met only by the passengers using Gatwick. £50 extra on a return flight might well cause price sensitive passengers and airlines to choose to use Stansted instead. Click here to view full story…
Gatwick offers to pay households for noise of 2nd runway – dismissed by opponents as a “very small bribe”
March 10, 2014 Gatwick airport is on a PR and charm offensive to try to get support for a 2nd runway. This has been somewhat upset over the past two weeks by the impact on the village of Warnham of an unannounced flight path trial. Now Gatwick airport may have been rushed into making the offer of £1,000 per year to “all households most affected” by noise from a 2nd runway. The airport says would be equivalent to Band A Council Tax (currently £1000). Gatwick CEO Stewart Wingate said the cash would help negate some of the impact. The airport estimate that 4,100 households would qualify for the money by 2040, using the discredited 57 decibel contour. In reality, the 57dB contour does not accurately reflect the areas where noise is annoying or causes disturbance – even the 54dB contour, as used in Europe, is an inaccurate measure. Many thousands more people – perhaps 48,000 – would need to be compensated if the 54dB contour was used. The £1,000 is a derisory figure, not even slightly compensating for loss of house value, or for loss of local amenity and quality of life. This is a very small bribe. Click here to view full story…
A new runway at Heathrow or Gatwick would mean big increases in passenger fees – New report
March 10, 2014 
The Aviation Environment Federation (AEF) has submitted a new report to the Airports Commission which casts doubt on the feasibility of building a new runway at either Gatwick or Heathrow. So far there has been little realistic discussion about who will actually pay for the proposed runways. The new study,“Who Would Pay for a New Runway” by Brendon Sewill, shows that a new runway at Heathrow would be likely to mean an increase in landing fees and other airport charges from £19 per passenger now, up to £31. At Gatwick there would be a larger increase, up from £8 now to £33.60. The study points out that with all the London airports separately owned, unlike in the days of BAA, the cost will have to fall only on the passengers using that airport. If an expensive runway (and terminal) is built, the options are either that the passengers pay for it – or that it has to have public subsidy. A report for the Airports Commission, by KPMG, concluded that a new Heathrow runway would need a subsidy of around £11 billion, and a new Gatwick runway a subsidy of nearly £18 billion. However, the Government is reluctant to commit public funds, and new EU guidelines ruling out subsidies to major airports. That leaves landing charges – will passengers put up with that, or vote with their feet by using cheaper airports? Click here to view full story…
Villages up in arms as new Gatwick flight path shatters their peace and quiet
March 9, 2014 The Sunday Times has featured the story of the misery and upset being caused over villages in Sussex by a new trial flight path from Gatwick. The village of Warnham is particularly affected. It is a quiet village, but now has planes taking off from Gatwick thundering overhead. Some of the affected residents are the mother-in-law of Boris Johnson, who said who say the noise is so loud that it sets off baby monitors and drowns out the sound of local church bells. Also Caroline Lucas, whose family owns the 215-acre Warnham Park, with a large herd of red deer, said: “How long will future generations stay here? That’s the question you have to ask.” The 6 month trial, of which there was no notice given to local residents, is of a new departure route for planes mainly bound for southern Europe, which are now turning south earlier than they normally do. The airport says the trial is to find out if a new aircraft navigation system will allow air traffic controllers to reduce the interval between flights taking off from two minutes to one, potentially allowing more flights to take off at peak times. ie. make Gatwick even busier than now. Click here to view full story… . A recent meeting of the Gatwick Airport Consultative Committee (GATCOM) said, discussing whether residents should be warned of the trial in advance. GATCOM minutes of 30th January 2014: “It was felt that parish councils in particular should be advised of trial to enable them to respond to their constituents if problems arose. Mr. Denton would consider this but emphasised the need to obtain genuine feedback from those affected. If people were aware of the trial it was possible that they would be more alert to changes and feel obliged to comment.” ie. don’t warn them, because they might complain. .
Francis Maude: Noise misery foreshadows Gatwick second runway
March 8, 2014 Francis Maude, MP for Horsham, has received a great number of letters and emails from distressed residents in Warnham and Rusper, in recent weeks, about the new flight path trial over them. They are saying they are being plagued by a constant stream of noisy aircraft taking off from Gatwick towards the west starting at 6am. Many people have complained directly to Gatwick Airport, the CAA and NATS – but have yet to be satisfied on a number of points. Most residents were not aware of any minimal consultation about the changes before they started. Francis Maude is asking for much more detail about the trials. These include on what criteria will the trial be assessed? Why does it need to continue for six months? and How is it being monitored? He says the misery currently being experienced by local residents foreshadows what would be a permanent feature of life in the area if a 2nd Gatwick runway were to be built. The amount of opposition to this trial suggests it is not being successful. Francis Maude says: “I have made my opposition to a second Gatwick runway many times in public and private, and am happy to reiterate this now.” Click here to view full story…
GACC calls for flight path trial to stop due to anger and outrage in the village of Warnham
March 5, 2014 
A new flight path for take-offs from Gatwick airport has caused outrage in the parish of Warnham, near Horsham. Designed as a 6-month trial to enable more aircraft to take-off from the Gatwick runway it has already caused a wave of protest. A member of the GACC (Gatwick Area Conservation Campaign), Sally Pavey, who lives in Warnham, says: ‘The tranquillity of our 14th century, conservation village has been lost and we seem powerless to do anything about it. Everyone is up in arms as we are woken at 6.00 am with an aircraft overhead every few minutes. Living in Warnham has turned into a nightmare!’ GACC has called for the trial to be stopped. The new route is causing an unacceptable degree of upset and maximum anger. It is just a small foretaste of what is to come if a new runway were to be built. “With a new runway the new flight paths would bring anger and misery to perhaps 30 or more towns and villages. And that would be permanent, not just for 6 months. Warnham is a wake-up call for why we should all oppose a new runway.’ Click here to view full story…
Concerns about the effectiveness of a new aviation noise authority – and the public’s trust in it
March 4, 2014 In its interim report published on 17th December 2013, the Airports Commission recommended to government “… the establishment of an Independent Noise Authority to provide expert and impartial advice about the noise impacts of aviation and to facilitate the delivery of future improvements to airspace operations.” GACC – the Gatwick Area Conservation Campaign – has responded to this suggestion with a lot of caveats. GACC would welcome the authority if its main purpose is to reduce aircraft noise, but not if its main purpose is to persuade local residents to relax their opposition to a new runway at Gatwick. Residents want the noise to be reduced, not ‘mitigating’, and not ‘reducing the number of people affected’ if that means merely making noise worse for fewer people. . There have been years of unsatisfactory complaints mechanisms on aircraft noise, and also of broken assurances from the aviation industry. “A single point for complaints, an aircraft noise ombudsman with power to order improvement or compensation, would be welcome. But we do not see this in the recommendations of the Commission’s Interim Report.” There are fears that the new body will be “long grass into which difficult issues could be consigned.” A body designed to smooth the path of a new runway, whether at Gatwick or elsewhere would be vigorously opposed. Click here to view full story…
Gatwick Area Conservation Campaign speaks up for the village of Warnham, suffering from an unannounced flight path trial
March 4, 2014 A new flight path has been introduced for aircraft taking off from Gatwick to the west, then turning left around Horsham. It passes directly over the village of Warnham and is apparently a trial designed in order to get more aircraft off the Gatwick runway. GACC (the Gatwick Area Conservation Campaign) considers it intolerable that new misery and a decline in house values should be caused just to create extra profit for the owners of Gatwick. Normally there are 3 take off routes to the west, which are contained within compulsory Noise Preferential Route (NPR) corridors. The new route route departs from the NPR, particularly over Warnham, where it has caused consternation. The trial is a technical one not intended to measure the social impact and they did not announce it in advance so as not to provoke complaints that might not have emerged otherwise. The airport says because it is a trial it was not necessary to consult, as would be a legal requirement if the new route were to be permanent. GACC say there is no national need for this route change – Stansted airport is operating at less than half its capacity. People fear that this new route is a small fore-taste of the widespread misery and protest that would be created across Surrey and Sussex by a new runway. Click here to view full story…
New Gatwick flightpath trials are ‘destroying’ village life at Warnham, West Sussex
February 27, 2014 Residents in Warnham, about 10 km south west of Gatwick, and complaining strenuously about low-flying aircraft going over their homes from 6am each day. They feel the character of their village, let alone its tranquillity, are being destroyed. This is part of a trial for a new new flightpath which started on February 17th and will continue for 6 months. The trial is being run by NATS in conjunction with Gatwick airport, but people in Warnham complain that they were not notified or consulted in advance of the trial. The planes pass over the village at approximately 2,000ft and villagers say they can be as frequent as every 5 minutes at some times of day. The noise is loud enough to have raised concerns about its impact on vulnerable residents, in particular the elderly and disabled. The Gatwick Area Conservation Campaign (GACC) claims that rural residents suffer more from noise pollution than urban residents. The noise is more intrusive as there is little background noise. GACC is concerned that the trial of the new flightpath over Warnham is designed solely to get more aircraft off the Gatwick runway. “It is intolerable that new misery and decline in house values should be caused just to create extra profit.” Click here to view full story…
Local blog from Horsham – with concerns about the Gatwick Diamond’s pressure for 2nd runway
February 13, 2014 In a blog for the local newspaper in Horsham, near Gatwick, columnist Nik Butler considers what it means that Horsham Council is apparently part of the entity called the “Gatwick Diamond.” The “Diamond” is a notional idea developed to create economic benefit by highlighting the relationship between the central value of Gatwick airport and the surrounding secondary and tertiary businesses. It is rich in buzzwords like sustainable, economic, knowledge based, etc. Its focus is on the economic development and planning framework for the area, and it is gung ho for a 2nd Gatwick runway. Its ambitions are bound up with a new runway, and the massive developments that would be needed. Nik Butler says the reasons put forward for a new runway need to be opened up and thoroughly reviewed. “The phrase “sustainable” should be the first on the midden heap of marketing; there is nothing sustainable in the combustion of jet fuel until we find alternative renewable fuels for those jets……Jobs will be created, possibly, but are they jobs with a salary suitable enough to afford local properties?” He suggests “Don’t be taken in by buzz words or marketing” without considering the whole infrastructure required. Horsham may end up worse off. Click here to view full story…
Norwegian Airlines – with transatlantic Gatwick plans – under fire from unions for employing Thai staff at lower pay
February 6, 2014 Gatwick airport recently struck a deal with European low fares Norwegian Airlines, which hopes to start low-cost transatlantic flights to 3 US airports using 787 Dreamliners. It has given Gatwick airport a boost, with its excitement about its planned 3 flights per week to New York after July 2014, and 2 flights per week each to Los Angeles and Fort Lauderdale. These may cost as little as £150 one way. However, there is now a lot of opposition by unions in both the USA and in Europe about the way Norwegian employs Thai air crew, for salaries that are very much lower than those paid to US or European employees, so it can undercut its rivals. Employment costs in Norway are high. Airline unions and pilot groups have asked European and US authorities to deny Norwegian Air Shuttle’s request for a new long-haul license, accusing the budget carrier of trying to avoid taxes and skirt employment laws. It now plans to register the operation in Ireland and keep using Thai crew along with some American staff. There are fears that air crew will lose their fundamental rights, including the freedom to assemble, and the freedom to collectively bargain. Attempts to fly cheap long-haul routes date back to the 1970s, when Laker Airways flew from London to New York. It went bankrupt in 1982. Click here to view full story…
New £53 million platform opened at Gatwick airport station with £50 million more future government funding for more station improvements
February 3, 2014 Gatwick’s new £53 million station platform has been opened. Transport Minister Susan Baroness Kramer formally opened Platform 7 and its associated facilities. First Capital Connect, hopes having this new platform will mean better services for passengers going to the airport, and that it will unblock a bottleneck on the Brighton main line. With some 14 million people arriving at, or departing from the airport by rail each year, (about one third of passengers) improvements were necessary for the “passenger experience.” The Brighton Main Line is one of the busiest routes in the UK and the new platform at Gatwick should mean fewer delays for passengers using the line, as well as those getting off or on at Gatwick. The news coverage of the opening is characteristically gushy. This is part of a large redevelopment of the airport station – the Gatwick Gateway. Baroness Kramer said: “Gatwick makes a vital contribution to the UK economy and we must make sure facilities are upgraded for the benefit of passengers. That is why we have committed a further £50 million [taxpayer money] towards the complete redevelopment of the station.” Stewart Wingate said the improved station “will allow us to compete even more for passengers and airlines wanting to come to London and the South-east region.” Click here to view full story…
Gatwick hopes that by giving another 1,000 homes double-glazing it will defuse opposition to a 2nd runway
February 3, 2014 Gatwick airport continues to spend a lot of money in attempting to get backing for its 2nd runway and soften up opposition. It has now set up a new scheme – starting on 1st April – to give people overflown more double glazing and house insulation, to attempt to cut some of the noise. That, of course, does not work when the windows are open, or when people are outside – in a garden, or elsewhere. Gatwick says it is expanding its noise insulation scheme, to cover over 1,000 more homes across Surrey, Sussex and Kent. People will be able to apply for up to £3,000 towards double glazing for their windows and doors as well as loft insulation; ie the scheme could cost Gatwick some £3 million in total. They are now taking the 60 Leq contour, rather than the 66 Leq contour, as in the past – hence increasing the catchment area. They are also extending the area covered by 15km to both west and east of the airport. Stewart Wingate said “We understand that the public’s tolerance to noise is much lower than it was”… Gatwick is pushing hard to compare the noise problem it causes with the much larger noise problem caused by Heathrow, where flight paths go over many more densely populated areas. They ignore the issue of the low level of background noise around Gatwick, compared to background noise in a city or large town. Click here to view full story…
Stewart Wingate tells Scottish business leaders a 2nd Gatwick runway would be better for Scottish travellers
January 28, 2014 Gatwick airport is working hard on its PR to win support for its runway bid. It has recruited a number of agencies to help with this, and is reputed to be spending some £10 million on its public relations. It is lobbying London councils that oppose expansion at Heathrow, on the principle that “my enemy’s enemy is my friend.” Now Stewart Wingate has told a meeting of business people in Scotland that expanding Gatwick could be better for the Scottish economy than expanding Heathrow. He is announcing a new study into airport expansion and Scottish connectivity, commissioned through Northpoint Aviation, that considers levels of access and demand today, and the impact of expanding Gatwick on Scotland. Gatwick plans to return to Scotland in due course, with more details and to lobby for support. Stuart Patrick, chief executive of Glasgow Chamber of Commerce, said: “We are working hard to ensure that capacity constraints in the South-east don’t limit our future ability to access such vital national and international markets, and in the short-term this remains an issue.” Spending more on PR, Gatwick’s media relations manager, Heather Griffiths, said consumer perceptions were an “important strand” in the broader comms effort on their runway bid. Click here to view full story…
Gatwick new runway would increase likelihood of more local flooding along River Mole
January 25, 2014 A paper has been prepared for GACC by the distinguished naturalist and author Jeremy Early. It shows why Gatwick – and towns downstream – are liable to flood. And that the situation would be made worse by the construction of a new runway and associated infrastructure. Jeremy points out that Gatwick has areas of higher land in its vicinity, which increase the amount of rainfall that has to be drained away. In addition the huge amount of development locally consisting of impermeable surfaces, makes the flooding in several parts of Crawley, other local villages, and at Gatwick Airport understandable. Jeremy points out that Crawley is built on a floodplain and the Environment Agency has said: ‘The decision to site Gatwick Airport across 3 watercourses means that it is vulnerable to flooding from all 3 watercourses as well as local drainage. Run-off from main airfield paving flows by gravity to a storage pond and is then discharged by pumps directly to the River Mole.” They consider the chance of the North Terminal flooding again to be high (about 8% chance). The report considers it misguided to plan to use 900 hectares of greenfield site to create a 2nd runway involving a vast quantity of impermeable surfaces, not to mention associated infrastructure, roads, homes etc. Click here to view full story…
Scale of taxpayer contribution needed for Heathrow or Gatwick runways shown up in KPMG report for Airports Commission. As much as £17.7 billion for Gatwick?
January 20, 2014 A report dated December 2013 by accountants, KPMG, for the Airports Commission, says a 3rd runway at Heathrow could require £11.5bn of government support, (ie. money from the taxpayer) while a 2nd runway at Gatwick may need as much as £17.7bn of taxpayer contributions. An airport in the Thames Estuary would need even more from the taxpayer – maybe £64 billion. The report contradict claims by airport operators that an extra runway could be financed either exclusively or predominantly by the private sector. Gatwick has said it could build a 2nd runway for £5bn to £9bn with no government aid. Heathrow has raised the prospect of £4bn to £6bn of taxpayer support to improve rail and road links, but has argued that a 3rd runway, at a cost of £17bn, would be largely funded by the private sector. The KPMG analysis also highlights the potential burden of building a new runway on passengers, who would pay higher ticket prices. KPMG says these would have to rise by 136% at Gatwick to repay the money borrowed. That would mean charges at Gatwick rising by 2.5% above inflation every year from 2019 to 2050. At Heathrow charges would need to rise by 13% initially and then by 2.5% above inflation. Repaying the money takes till 2050. Unless charges for passengers rise enough, the public (many of whom do not fly) will have to stump up the funds. Click here to view full story…
Local Surrey Guardian newspaper asks: “Was Leatherhead sacrificed in the floods to save Gatwick?”
January 17, 2014 After exceptionally heavy rain and wind on 23rd December, Gatwick airport had serious problems with unexpected flooding, with many flights cancelled or delayed. It is still unclear to what extent actions taken at the airport to divert water from its holding ponds and prevent the airport from flooding meant more water surged down the River Mole, making flooding worse downstream in areas such as Dorking, Leatherhead and Cobham. It is understood that investigations are under way, and councillors for Leatherhead are seeking clarifications from the airport. The local press reported that an Environment Agency spokesman had said that Gatwick airport are constructing a further water storage reservoir directly on the Gatwick stream. The Gatwick Stream, where river levels rose rapidly, meets the River Mole south of Horley. Flooded residents feared that the contents of Gatwick airport’s balancing ponds may have been dumped into the River Mole and sluice gates further down were not opened in time. Click here to view full story…
Heathrow had 3.4% more passengers in 2013 than in 2012. Gatwick had 3.6% more.
January 14, 2014 Heathrow and Gatwick have both reported growth in passenger numbers for 2013. Traffic at Heathrow reached 72.3 million, an increase of 3.4% on 2012, Aircraft movements totalled 469,552 for the year at Heathrow, which was down 0.4% on 2012. Colin Matthews used the figures as another opportunity to put in a plug for another Heathrow runway, saying Heathrow is full [but it keeps adding passengers – its terminals are not full, though its runways are nearly full] and so Heathrow has to watch other European airports adding more flights. Heathrow said BRIC passengers were up 6.9% over the year, with China up 18.9%, and India up 8.7%. Meanwhile at Gatwick traffic reached 35.4 million passengers in 2013, an increase of 3.6% on 2012. Gatwick’s aircraft movements totalled 244,552, which was a rise of 1.6% on 2012. Gatwick said its European routes were the main source of its growth, and they were increasing the number of long-haul routes, with more flights to Dubai. There will be a daily A380 service to Dubai from Gatwick from March.” Gatwick had fewer charter flights to European leisure destinations, reflecting the longer-term market move towards scheduled, low cost airlines.Heathrow load factor was 76.4% and Gatwick’s 79.4%. Click here to view full story…
CAA decides on no further price regulation at Stansted, but only RPI -1.5% charges at Heathrow and more controls on Gatwick
January 11, 2014 The CAA has published its final decisions on economic regulation at Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted after April 2014. They say the new situation, with each airport having a different owner, reflects the unique circumstances of individual airports. Considering the market power of each airport means passengers would not benefit from further regulation of Stansted, but that Heathrow and Gatwick will both need further airport licences from April 2014 onwards. Current landing charges are £20.71 per passenger at Heathrow and £8.80 (2014 prices) at Gatwick. CAA says: “At Heathrow, the CAA’s price control decision will see prices fall in real terms by 1.5% per year between 2014 and 2019 (RPI-1.5%). This has changed from the CAA’s Final Proposals published in October, which suggested prices rising in line with inflation. The changes have been made as passenger traffic forecasts have strengthened since October, and the cost of capital has been revised. The CAA supports more diversity in what Gatwick offers to its various airlines, so passengers receive a tailored service. It has therefore based regulation on the airport operator’s own commitments to its airline customers.” Heathrow is deeply displeased. Gatwick is mildly displeased. Stansted is happy. Ryanair’s share value fell. Click here to view full story…
Simon Calder: “Transit traffic and the airport problem” – transfer, hub, point-to-point ?
January 10, 2014 Simon Calder gives some insights into how airlines manage transit passengers,and “Origin & Destination” (O&D) passengers – which is at the heart of the hub / point-to-point airport question that will be influential in the Airports Commission recommendations. Heathrow and BA want a larger hub at Heathrow, so they can lay on more flights to more destinations, with higher load factors and hence more profit – by sucking in transit passengers. However, many passengers prefer to pay a bit more and fly direct, without a transit. Calder says what BA wants is for every seat on every flight from Heathrow to its long haul destinations would be filled, by people starting their journey in London ….. BA has little trouble filling the plane with O&D passengers on some days, but on others the demand simply isn’t there. BA’s extensive network allows it to turn transit traffic on and off like a tap, putting lots of tempting fares into the market when loads are light – or raising them. Hence fares vary hugely day to day. Calder says the biggest threat to Heathrow is now coming from Istanbul, to where direct flights using smaller 737s can connect from many UK regional airports, for onward transfers. Heathrow says a 2nd Gatwick runway would dilute transit traffic at Heathrow, making many BA routes unviable. Click here to view full story…
Gatwick chief executive says he will spend whatever it takes to prevent flooding problems for a 2nd runway
January 10, 2014
Gatwick Airport’s chief executive has told MPs that he will spend millions to protect any future 2nd runway and the airport’s north terminal from flooding after severe weather forced its partial closure on Christmas Eve. Stewart Wingate told the parliamentary transport select committee that he was willing to make “whatever investment is necessary” on flood defences after the flooding meant some flights were moved to the south terminal or cancelled. He said Gatwick had spent £20m on flood alleviation work at the south terminal, which he said had been deemed to be at far greater risk of flooding than the north terminal. He said: “Any plans for a second runway would absolutely assume that the buildings [and the runway] were protected to a similar degree from flooding.” A review of the incident will be published in February. Stewart Wingate admitted a lot more “could and should” have been done for customers after a power cut, caused by flooding of the electricity sub-station, threw the airport into chaos. Passengers said they had not been given information. EasyJet, said only 4 buses had been available to ferry passengers between the north and south terminals. Click here to view full story…
GACC debunks alleged benefits of a 2nd Gatwick runway
January 7, 2014
GACC – the Gatwick Area Conservation Campaign – has set out its reaction to the Airports Commission decision to short-list Gatwick. One of the main negative impacts at Gatwick is seen as the urbanisation of the area, which would be the result of an influx of around 40,000 new families attracted into the area from other parts of the UK and the EU. GACC does not believe an additional Gatwick would bring large economic benefits to the existing residents of the area. The Gatwick area has a comparatively low level of unemployment. A new runway would certainly bring new workers, moving into the area – who would get most of the new jobs, first in construction (building the airport and the required housing) and then at the airport. The in-comers would derive economic benefits. The hundreds of new firms (which the Gatwick Diamond business association believes would follow) would also need to import most of their staff. So almost all the extra income would go to the newcomers. In all probability existing local residents would just experience more road congestion, more pressure on local infrastructure, more more pressure on health services and schools, as well as more noise, and fewer green fields. Click here to view full story…
Reigate MP, Crispin Blunt, slams Airports Commission report short-listing Gatwick for 2nd runway
January 7, 2014
Reigate MP Crispin Blunt has attacked the recent Airports Commission interim report and its short-listing of proposals for a second runway at Gatwick. The Conservative MP, who recently won a battle to be re-selected to stand for the party in Reigate at the next General Election, called the report “nothing short of calamitous” for his constituents. And he said the development a second runway at Gatwick would bring with it “would devastate the local environment and leave the UK with its major airport in the wrong place.” In a statement on his website, Mr Blunt said he had “registered his dismay at the Airports Commission interim report. However, he remains keen on a Thames estuary airport. He says the interim report “merely represents a series of damaging, and potentially catastrophic compromises.” “The second runway at Gatwick airport would be a disaster for the surrounding communities and environment” especially due to the level of development associated with an airport serving three times as many passengers as it does now – where could some 40,000 new houses be built. Click here to view full story…
Surrey Chambers of Commerce delighted Airports Commission short-listed a new Gatwick runway
December 30, 2013
Gatwick Airport is a member of the Surrey Chambers of Commerce. It is therefore no great surprise to find the Chamber has expressed its pleasure that the Airports Commission has short -listed Gatwick as one of two sites for a new runway. They say businesses in the south east would benefit. They also believe businesses (ignoring affected residents?) would benefit even more by having a new runway at Heathrow too. They have in the past backed Gatwick’s idea of a new runway at both Gatwick and Stansted – though that has been ruled out for the time being, by the Commission. In the view of the Chamber, a new runway would provide” significant economic benefit and sustainable employment in the South East.” And they want it as soon as possible. They want “access to excellent overseas connections, not only for our local businesses but also for the multi-nationals that locate here rather than in other parts of Europe.” The Chamber will hold a panel discussion at Epsom racecourse on 12th March on the Heathrow, Gatwick and Grain runway options. “Whilst there are still decisions to be made we are confident that investment in the South East will bring an excellent rate of return,” says the Chamber.
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http://www.uk-airport-news.info/gatwick-airport-news.htm