Contents
SASIG 2013/14 Meeting Dates
Regional News
Industry News
European News
Parliamentary News
Government News
Media News
SASIG 2013/14 Meeting Dates
28 June 2013
25 October 2013
7 March 2014
Meetings are held at 11am, Local Government House, Smith Square, SW1P 3HZ, with lunch provided afterwards, location map.
Regional News
7 May 2013 – Birmingham Airport kept 99% of all departing aircraft ‘on schedule’ within the 2012 calendar year, beating its annual target of 95%.
8 May 2013 – Bristol Airport are currently recruiting Volunteer Information Patrons (VIP’s) to act as ‘goodwill ambassadors welcoming visitors to the South West’. They will be required to assist travellers throughout the passenger ‘journey’.
8 May 2013 – Newcastle International Airport has published its 2012 Annual Review. It covers subjects such as business performance, new route announcements, investments made in 2012 and the airport’s contribution to the North East economy.
9 May 2013 – London City Airport is to undergo a remodelling programme which will aim to speed up the passenger journey through the airport. The key elements of the refurbishment comprise: a modernised building, including an improved reception area; large private lounge and new private meeting room for passengers’ use; updated security screening in a new, dedicated, private facility; and a UK Border Force officer on site throughout operational hours.
9 May 2013 – Uttlesford District Council has agreed to write off more than £1m in business rates owed by the company, Eighteen Aviation Ltd., at Stansted Airport. It is pressing ahead with legal action aimed at winding the company up however.
Industry News
3 May 2013 – The International Air Transport Association (IATA) Operations Committee (OPC) identified Air Traffic Management (ATM) capacity and efficiency improvements and harmonising safety regulation as priority areas for the association. The key developments from the OPC and Ops Conference are available here.
3 May 2013 – London City Airport is the first airport in the world to test ‘machine to machine’ communication (M2M) in the field of commercial aviation. Some of the features of M2M technology involve tracking passengers through a mix of face recognition and crowd-sourcing software, and Global Positioning Systems which will assist with things such as the monitoring of luggage.
4 May 2013 – Qatar Airways is to tentatively join Oneworld in October this year, the airline’s CEO, Akbar al-Baker has said. Speaking in Dubai recently, Mr. al-Baker said that Qatar Airways was ‘well advanced in integrating its processes and systems’ with the global alliance.
7 May 2013 – Volcanologists have warned that two Icelandic volcanoes are primed to erupt, which it is anticipated, will cause disruption to the aviation industry. EasyJet are currently in the process of testing new technology which they believe will avoid the disruption caused by the Icelandic eruption in 2010.The next phase of testing will involve two Airbus test aircraft, one of which has the ability to disperse the ash into the atmosphere, thereby creating an artificial ash cloud for the second with the ‘AVOID’ technology fitted to detect and avoid at over 30,000ft.
8 May 2013 – Qatar is thought to be in talks over a move to become the largest shareholder in British Airways’ parent company IAG. The Gulf state is believed to have sounded out Spanish lender Bankia about taking its 12 per cent stake in IAG. Bankia is the largest shareholder in the airline after BA’s £5billion merger with Iberia, in which the Spanish bank held a controlling stake.
European News
7 May – Ministers from nine European member states, have set out action they want to see this year to reform the EU’s Emissions Trading System (ETS). Energy and Environment Ministers from nine European member states, including the UK, France and Germany, have today set out action they want to see this year to reform the EU’s Emissions Trading System (ETS) to ensure it remains at the forefront of EU policies to combat climate change and drive low carbon investments. The joint statement sets out clear direction and deadlines on next steps on EU ETS reform including: Calls for national governments in the Council and MEPs in the Parliament to come to a resolution to backloading proposals by July this year at the latest. The report is also available on the SASIG publications page here.
8 May 2013 – A new World Health Organisation (WHO) report finds damaging health impacts of some key air pollutants which can occur at lower atmospheric concentrations than indicated by the most recent 2005 WHO Air Quality guidelines currently used in Europe.
Parliamentary News
10 May 2013 – In the first session of the House of Commons Transport Committee, The Committee called on the Government to:
- Establish a national scheme to ensure adequate compensation for people affected by noise from expansion at Heathrow;
- Develop a coherent national strategy to improve road and rail access sufficient to address significant problems that exist with surface transport connections to major UK airports;
- Ensure that the High Speed 2 (HS2) rail network serves Heathrow and develop dedicated rail services to serve Gatwick and Stansted;
- Take a more active role in promoting airports in regions outside the south east of England;
- Investigate whether it would be possible (under EU rules) to protect slots at Heathrow for feeder services from poorly served regions;
- Conduct and publish a fully costed study of how far Air Passenger Duty impacts on the UK economy and, if this provides clear evidence that the duty causes harm to the economy or government revenue, moves to significantly reduce or abolish APD;
- Carry out an objective analysis of the impacts of introducing differential rates of APD; and
- Introduce an APD tax holiday for a 12-month trial period for new services operating out of airports outside the south east.
The full report can be found at, House of Commons Transport Committee. Aviation Strategy. First Report of Session 2013–14. This includes Volume I: Report, together with formal minutes. Oral and written evidence contained in Volume II and additional written evidence contained in Volume II are available on the Committee website here. The Association of British Travel Agents, British Chambers of Commerce, London Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and British Air Transport Association have all published their reactions to the report. The report is also available on the SASIG publications page here.
Government News
3 May 2013 – The Airports Commission set up by the government to assess the UK’s long-term aviation capacity needs has unveiled a panel of leading environmental, engineering and transport experts to assist in its deliberations. The panel has been established with the aim of ensuring the Commission has access to scientific and technical expertise, providing an extra level of challenge and quality assurance. The members of the expert panel are:
- Professor Helen Apsimon; Professor of Air Pollution Studies, Imperial College London
- Dr Charlotte Clark; Senior lecturer in Environmental and Mental Health Epidemiology, Barts and the London School of Medicine
- Professor Piers Forster; Professor of Physical Climate Change, University of Leeds
- Dr Andrew Kempton; Chief Noise Specialist, Rolls-Royce
- Professor Peter Mackie; Research Professor of Transport Studies, University of Leeds
- Professor Andrew McNaughton; Technical Director, High Speed Two Ltd and previously Chief Engineer, Network Rail
- Professor Henry Overman; Professor of Economic Geography, London School of Economics
- Mr George Paulson; Independent consultant; former Director of Safety and Airspace, Eurocontrol
- Dr David Quarmby; Chairman, RAC Foundation and previously Chairman of the Strategic Rail Authority and British Tourism Authority
- Professor Andreas Schäfer; Professor in Energy and Transport, University College London
- Professor Keith Shine; Professor of Physical Meteorology, University of Reading
- Mr David Starkie; Senior Associate, Case Associates
- Professor Callum Thomas; Professor of Sustainable Aviation, Manchester Metropolitan
8 May 2013 – The UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) today announced that Mike Barnard has been appointed as General Aviation (GA) Programme Manager. Mr Barnard’s main role will be leading a programme to develop and implement policy on how the CAA regulates the GA sector in the future to ensure it is safe and the regulation is proportionate. He has experience of GA, being a Director of the Light Aircraft Association and the General Aviation Safety Council and a qualified private pilot since 1994. He also brings extensive management experience to the role from his career in the automotive industry.
8 May 2013 – Queens Speech. The Queen’s Speech contained 15 Bills and another four in draft form. The Prime Minister has stated that the Coalition Government’s priorities over the next year will be to boost economic growth, tighten the immigration system, overhaul pensions and social care and increase consumer rights. The Institute of Directors have criticised the speech, and had previously called for more extensive deregulation, while the British Chamber of Commerce welcomed the approach.
Media News
9 May 2013 – London First delivered its submission to the Airports Commission recommending an increase of flights at Heathrow, coupled with greater noise protection for residents, plus the deregulation of Gatwick and Stansted and investment in their rail links, as short-term solutions to the UK’s air capacity crisis. London First recommends that, in the absence of any long-term strategy to build new runways, priority must be given to finding ways of increasing flights through more intensive use of existing runways. It estimates that Heathrow could support 10 per cent more flights, while reducing delays; and that Gatwick and Stansted airports could attract more airlines and passengers if existing price controls were abolished and the quality and capacity of rail services to both were improved.
10 May 2013 – A new report by consultants Steer Davies Gleave and Capital Economics has found Birmingham to be Britain’s most accessible airport. The authors state that the analysis supports the development of a network of British airports. The report was commissioned by Birmingham Airport to form part of its response to the Airports Commission. The Airports Commission has called for evidence on how to make the best use of existing capacity and the deadline for submissions is later this month. The report’s key findings are: For a 60 minute travel time, Heathrow currently has the largest catchment for long-haul by road and rail at 11.2 million passengers, followed by Manchester (10.3 million), Birmingham (9.7 million) and Gatwick (9.7 million). For a 90 minute travel time, Birmingham Airport has the biggest catchment, almost 20 million people, marginally more than Heathrow. For a 120 minute travel time, Birmingham Airport captures over 35 million people. By 2032, Birmingham Airport will be the most convenient long-haul airport by road and rail for 19 million people – more than any other long-haul airport. Birmingham’s one-hour catchment will grow to 15 million and the two hour catchment will increase to 45 million.
The Parliamentary information in this Bulletin is sourced from De Havilland Information Services plc.