The
AirportWatch bulletin for September is now at
AirportWatch
bulletin September 2014 It can
be found on the AirportWatch Publications page, along
with all back copies, at
PublicationsApologies
that this bulletin is a bit late - (August, holidays,
life ...)
The main news that you may not have
been able to miss is the decision by the Airports
Commission to finally refuse to short-list a Thames
estuary airport. Their decision seems to have been made
on logical, rational and factual
arguments.
However, unsurprisingly, Boris is not
taking this lying down, and the accumulated length of
column inches on his irritation, his views, and what he
and Sir Howard Davies did (or did not) say to each other
on the phone, is already large. Whatever happens
with Boris' next career move, and his opinions on
airports, it can pretty much be guaranteed that there
will be a lot of politics, a lot of arguments, and a lot
of political commentating .... and it will go on for
years.
Again, in the last two months, changes to
flight paths and the reactions of people finding the
extent to which they are being over-flown unacceptable,
has been a key issue. The flight path changes over
Brussels have been halted; people near Birmingham
airport continue to suffer; trials to the west of
Heathrow have brought concern and anger, and inspired
petitions; and to the east of Gatwick, in Sussex and
Kent, groups have mobilised and joined to work together,
to prevent noise from Gatwick planes spoiling the
character of the villages and towns that they care
about.
Since the recession, the level of interest
- and concern - about carbon emissions and their
likelihood of altering the climate has diminished. The
problem has, of course, not gone away, even if the
economy has pushed climate and environment down the
public priority list. However, the carbon
emissions from aviation are an absolutely key factor in
deciding whether is it either possible, or desirable, to
build a new runway in the south east if the UK takes its
climate responsibilities seriously. A new runway would
inevitably hugely increase the amount of air traffic in
the south east.
There are two important new
papers on this, by the AEF (Aviation Environment
Federation) and WWF, and by the RSPB.
and more about
their contents hereIn addition
to that, the CCC (Committee on Climate Change) has
reported that, to remain within its carbon limit by
2050, UK aviation can expand passengers numbers by
around 60%, but this only if there are increases in fuel
efficiency in this time of about one third. Whether the
aviation industry would be able to deliver such
improvements is not clear.
More on this hereThere is also
new research from Southampton University showing that
unless the price of air travel is substantially
increased, demand will grow to the extent that it far
out-paces carbon efficiency gains. With an industry
aiming to grow by 4- 5% per year, and efficiency
improvements of about 1.5% there is an obvious gap.
More on this hereAnd just to
add a touch of the bizarre, it was announced in July
that 8 sites have been short-listed for UK’s first
commercial spaceport – Newquay, Llanbedr + 6 in
Scotland. Just what we need.
Details here (Space travel is
the highest carbon activity known to man; worse even
than Formula One racing or using private jets.)
AirportWatch
bulletin September 2014 The
September bulletin
CONTENTS:Page 1
- It’s All
About Boris: by John Stewart, Chair of
AirportWatch
- Airports Commission gives
comprehensive & unambiguous decision not to
short-list a Thames estuary airport
Page 2
-
Boris Johnson: 3rd runway at Heathrow would be a
‘disaster’ – adamant on “need” for new estuary
airport
- Plans to fit a new south east runway within
UK climate targets are based on a ‘wing & a prayer’
– rather than reality [The 2 new reports]
Page
3
- Southampton University study shows air traffic
growth would outpace CO2 reduction efforts unless demand
is cut by higher air fares
- Thousands of Londoners
would hear a plane “every 90 seconds for 13
hours/day” if Heathrow 3rd runway is
built
Page 4
- Heathrow campaign, HACAN, won’t
be taking part in the consultation on noise
compensation, for a 3rd runway
- “Grow Heathrow”
squatters in Sipson pledge ‘peaceful’ resistance to
bailiffs, due to evict them
- Heathrow flight path
changes / trial inflict more noise misery on Ascot
area
Page 5
- Flight path change protest &
petition also from Windlesham, Lightwater and
Bagshot
- “Scrap new flight paths,” says GACC in
their response to Gatwick’s airspace
consultation
Page 6
- Highly critical
responses to the Gatwick airspace consultation
-
Francis Maude says it is intolerable for some people to
be very intensively overflown, “to the extreme detriment
of their lives”
- Gatwick’s runway consultation shows
some 85% of respondents oppose a 2nd Gatwick
runway
Page 7
- Campaigners in Tunbridge
Wells/Penshurst area link up to oppose Gatwick
plans
Page 8
- Two letters to Stewart Wingate
on flight path changes, showing extent of anger
-
Stop Stansted Expansion supports call to take part in
flight path consultation, and says changes should be
postponed
- Stansted publishes consultation on draft
plan for future development, staying a one runway
airport
Page 9
- CCC confirm UK air passenger
rise of 60% by 2050 only possible if carbon intensify of
flying improves by one third
- Restrictions on UK
‘night flights’ at Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted
extended until 2017
- New EU rules on airports seen
as too timid to reduce extent of aircraft
noise
Page 10
- Court orders end to 2 flight
paths over Brussels, which have been strongly opposed
since February
- Aeroflot, to challenge fines for
non-payment of EU ETS charges for 2012
Page
11
- Caroline Spelman MP calls for end to Birmingham
flight path trials
- Work on Carlisle airport revamp
for freight centre could start soon, if there is no
legal challenge
- Farnborough Airport airspace
consultation results - 98% said change unjustified
-
Indignation in Frankfurt at the approval of the 3rd
Terminal, for yet more flights and yet more
noise
Page 12
- Warren Buffett says airline
shares are still risky investments – only £2.49 airline
profit per passenger
- US conservation groups to sue
EPA over delays in finding aviation emissions an
endangerment to health
- Global bird culls by
airports, to deter bird strike. Hundreds of thousands
gassed, shot & poisoned
- Useful
info
AirportWatch
bulletin September
2014 The AEF (Aviation
Environment Federation) has a great new website, with
lots of excellent new content. Take a look.
http://www.aef.org.uk/ You may like to
have a look at their
What you can do page and
their
News pageAs ever, do get in
touch if you have feedback, concerns, questions to ask,
or information to share.
Kind
regards
Sarah Clayton
AirportWatch
co-ordinator
www.airportwatch.org.uk on
Twitter
@AirportWatchand
Facebook
