Based on a review of click-through data for the Newsletter and Website, the Secretariat have been working with Vice Chair Cllr Artus (with CAG’s approval) to redesign this Newsletter and pull together an outline brief for a restructured SASIG website (to be put before the July meeting for endorsement). Underpinning both exercises has been Cllr Artus’ desire for concision, improved functionality, a fresher look and better user experience to drive added value for users. The Secretariat have been keen to focus the Newsletter on what members find most interesting and useful, whilst also tackling the legacy of a website which is now slightly dated. Restructuring the site will also allow better cross functionality between the Newsletter, news flashes, press releases, working group and full meeting papers, formal policy position statements and supporting research evidence.

No matter what colour/form of Government is returned on 8th June, and irrespective of the outcome of the Brexit negotiations, the UK is going to need a new aviation policy that is fit for purpose, and as Tim May’s slides from the April workshop sessions admit, the current one mostly assuredly is not. If SASIG is to fulfil its role as the local government and communities representative in the policy debate, it needs a strong platform from which to communicate its ideas and engage not only its existing members, but also:

•          new members,

•          parish councils and other local community groups,

•          the aviation industry,

•          other key stakeholders,

•          the media,

•          political representatives and influencers, and

•          Government itself.

The new Newsletter format is the first step in this process, with others to follow. Hence we would welcome member feedback – positive and negative – so that we can optimise its utility to meet your needs.

Chris Cain,
Head of Secretariat

 

Monthly Highlights

7th April – SASIG full meeting/workshops held in London.
18th April – Prime Minister calls snap General Election for 8th June, and purdah period begins
3rd May – Parliament rises; Select Committees dissolved – all inquiries terminated or suspended until the new Parliament sits.

 

Editor’s Forward Look

Draft responses to on-going DfT consultations on the National Policy Statement and Airspace and Noise required by 25th May 2017. SASIG drafts to follow shortly.

CAA consultation on the Economic Regulation of NERL – closing date 31st May 2017.

Other consultations, anticipated or ongoing, can be found on the Milestone Timetable accessible via this link.

This list gathers European Commission public consultations in one place and replaces the former ‘Your voice in Europe’ website:

 

Contents

 

Meetings and Conferences 

SASIG Meetings

–  25th May: Technical Working Groups: Surface Access (am) and  Environment, Planning & Airspace (pm) Venue: CIHT, London.  (Please note: these have been postponed until publication of the Aviation Strategy).
–  7th June: Chairman’s Advisory Group and Airports, Cities & Economic Growth Technical Working Group – Venue: East India Club, London.
–  6th July: SASIG AGM/Full meeting: Venue: CIHT, London.

External Meetings and Conferences
– 15th – 17th May 2017: ACI Europe’s 10th Regional Airports Conference & Exhibition: Cork, Ireland.
– 7th-8th June 2017: 2nd British-Irish Airports Expo: NEC, Birmingham
– 4th-6th July 2017: LGA Annual Conference & Exhibition: International Convention Centre, Birmingham. This is the local Government event of the year.
– 14th September 2017: Westminster Energy, Environment & Transport Forum – Central London.  Title: Developing a UK Aviation Strategy: Heathrow Implementation and the future of airport capacity across the UK.
– 13th-14th November 2017: 6th European Aviation Conference: Dublin, Ireland (venue to be confirmed)

 

Parliamentary and Government News

 Q.1. Question (69591) asked by Richard Burden (Birmingham, Northfield) on 28th March 2017: “To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the implications for his Department’s policy on decarbonising UK aviation of the International Council on Clean Transportation report, entitled Mitigating international aviation emissions: Risks and opportunities for alternative jet fuels, published on 22 March 2017”.
A. John Hayes on 5th April 2017: “The Government recognises the need for action at a global level to address CO2 emissions from aviation. To this end, the UK plays a key role in the work of the UN’s International Civil Aviation Organisation, including as an active participant in the development of the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation. We welcome the publication of the report and we are considering it carefully in relation to this work. We are also taking action at a national level to encourage the development and supply of lower carbon jet fuels. We have consulted on proposed amendments to the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligations Order to include support for the use of sustainable alternative fuels in aviation. We will publish the outcome of the consultation in due course. We have made £20 million available through the National Productivity Investment Fund to leverage private sector investment to help develop and commercialise alternative fuels. This can reduce the carbon impact of aviation and heavy goods vehicles, and capitalise on the industrial opportunities for growth and jobs”.

Q.2. Question (HL6426) asked by Lord Jones of Cheltenham on 29th March 2017: “To ask Her Majesty’s Government what priority they will give to ensuring continued access to the EU’s Open Skies deregulated aviation market in the negotiations to leave the EU”.

  1. Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 7th April 2017: “The Government plans to negotiate the best possible relationship between the UK and the EU in the field of aviation with a smooth and orderly transition. The Department for Transport is working closely with the industry to best understand their requirements and to ensure that the outcome of the negotiations serves the interests of both passengers and the aviation industry”.

Q.3. Question (HL6549) asked by Lord Trefgarne on 3rd April 2017: “To ask Her Majesty’s Government what are their proposals for the regulation of civil aviation following Brexit”.
A. Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 7th April 2017: “The Government is considering carefully all the potential implications arising from the UK’s exit from the EU, including future arrangements for the regulation of civil aviation. Until the UK leaves the EU, EU law continues to apply alongside national rules. The Department for Transport is working closely with the sector to best understand its requirements. The Great Repeal Bill, as set out in the White Paper published 30th March, will convert EU law as it stands at the moment of Exit into domestic law before we leave the EU. It will also enable domestic law to reflect the content of any withdrawal agreement under Article 50. This approach will provide maximum clarity and certainty for business and individuals, as in general the same rules and laws will apply on the day of Exit. Parliament (and, where appropriate, the devolved legislatures) will then have the ability, where it decides it is right to do so, to amend, repeal, or improve any piece of EU law at the appropriate time once we have left the EU”.

Q.4. Question (HL6658) asked by Baroness Doocey on 5th April 2017: “To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in reaching their decision on support for garden villages, what assessment they made of (1) the Planning Practice Guidance which states that local authorities should have regard to airfield connectivity, and (2) the Aviation Policy Framework”.

  1. Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth on 26th April 2017: “Surrey Heath Borough Council’s expression of interest for Fairoaks Garden Village was assessed using the criteria set out in out in the Government prospectus “Locally-Led Garden Villages, Towns and Cities” published (attached) March 2016. https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/508205/Locally-led_garden_villages__towns_and_cities.pdf

The National Planning Policy Framework is a material consideration in planning decisions and the Framework’s policies for delivering sustainable development must be considered as a whole. Where relevant, this would include the policy for airports and airfields (that are not subject to a separate national policy statement), which expects local planning authorities to take account of their growth and role in serving business, leisure, training and emergency needs. Planning guidance supporting the Framework makes clear local authorities should consider the interconnectivity between airfields of different sizes and that they should have regard to the Aviation Policy Framework”.

Q.5. Question (70712) asked by Kelly Tolhurst (Rochester & Strood) on 13th April 2017: “To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department plans to discuss with the Department for Communities and Local Government the co-ordination of (a) the drafting of the General Aviation Strategy document, (b) the drawing up of the National Planning Policy Framework and (c) general aviation policy”.

  1. John Hayes on 25th April 2017: “The National Planning Policy Framework was published on 27 March 2012 and the General Aviation Strategy on 25 March 2015. Departments across Government are involved in discussing aviation policy, including in relation to general aviation. With regard to (c), Departments across government will be involved in discussing aviation policy, including policy in relation to General Aviation, as we develop the new Aviation Strategy”.

Q.6. Question (70714) asked by Kelly Tolhurst (Rochester & Strood) on 13th April 2017: “To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will reclassify general aviation airfields as a national infrastructure issue for which any changes require approval above local authority level”.

  1. John Hayes on 25th April 2017: “The government is seeking to better define a strategic network of General Aviation airfields and is engaging with the General and Business Aviation Strategic Forum to do this”.

Q.7. Question (70576) asked by Craig Whittaker (Calder Valley) on 13th April 2017: “To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans his Department has to improve rail connectivity to Leeds-Bradford airport”.

  1. Paul Maynard on 24th April 2017: “Leeds City Council has submitted to the Department for Transport a proposal over how it wishes to spend the funding originally allocated to the trolley-bus scheme. This contains proposals for new train stations in the region, including one close to Leeds-Bradford Airport with a bus link to the airport terminal. All schemes proposed within the package will be subject to local business case approval”.

Q.8. Question (70369) asked by Jeremy Lefroy (Stafford) on 13th April 2017: “To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what progress he has made on negotiating the continued participation of the UK in the European open skies arrangements with the EU and third countries after the UK leaves the EU”.

  1. John Hayes on 25th April 2017: “On 29 March the UK formally notified its intention to leave the EU. The EU is currently preparing its position ahead of formal EU Exit negotiations, and no negotiations as yet have taken place. The Government is considering carefully all the potential implications arising from the UK’s exit from the EU and plans to negotiate the best possible relationship between the UK and the EU in the field of aviation. The Department for Transport is working closely with the sector to best understand its requirements and to ensure that the outcome of the negotiations serves the interests of both passengers and the aviation industry”.

Q.9. Question (71365) asked by Jim Shannon (Strangford) on 19th April 2017: “To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment he has made of the recent effect of noise pollution from international flights at regional airports on neighbourhoods situated near those airports”.

  1. John Hayes on 24th April 2017: “The Government only carries out regular noise assessments at Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted, which are designated for noise control purposes. These powers to manage aircraft noise are devolved in Scotland and Northern Ireland. Under European and domestic law, major airports, or other airports which impact on an agglomeration, are required to produce regular noise actions plans which require an assessment of how communities are impacted by noise and an airport’s plans for addressing these impacts. The last round of noise action plans were published in 2013 and can usually be found on airport’s website. The next round of noise action plans are expected to be published in 2018”.

 

Government News

18th April – Prime Minister calls snap General Election for 8th June. Says it is in order to ‘unify Westminster’ ahead of Brexit negotiations.

 

National and Regional News

3rd April Half of Heathrow 25,000 noise complaints for last quarter of 2016 came from just 10 people. From October to December, 10 people submitted 13,075 complaints between them.
3rd April – IAG CEO says work out cost of crossing M25 before Heathrow runway plan begins. Willie Walsh says pushing through Heathrow’s 3rd runway should be suspended until there are proper plans of how the airport is going to bridge the M25.
5th April British Airways launches biometric boarding gates at Heathrow. It’s the first UK airline to introduce this technology throughout the airport with the first three boarding gates for UK domestic flights departing from Terminal 5 now open.
5th April Roadworks close to East Midlands Airport, to last well into 2018. Holidaymakers are being warned to leave plenty of time when travelling by road to East Midlands Airport.
6th AprilLabour Leader backs further expansion at Birmingham Airport. Jeremy Corbyn says airport should have a 2nd runway, as it “is uniquely well connected to transport”.
6th AprilHeathrow owner halts future UK investment over Brexit. Airport’s Spanish owner has said uncertainty over Brexit has put a halt on future UK investment deals.
6th AprilStansted Airport announces new £130m arrivals terminal.  It will begin in late 2018 and be completed by the end of 2021.
10th AprilGatwick Airport presses for expansion after it records 44m passengers in a year for the first time.  CEO has re-iterated his push for airport expansion.
11th AprilHeathrow plans to make success out of Brexit.  Airport boss plans to turn Britain into the ‘best connected country on Earth’.
12th AprilLocal businesses invited to pitch for London City Airport contracts.  The £344m expansion plans include new aircraft stands, a parallel taxi-way and extended passenger terminal.
12th AprilSurrey Heath MP Michael Gove turns down opportunity to meet with constituents over Heathrow expansion.  He has been criticised for turning down meeting with campaigners.
13th April 275 business leaders have signed to support Doncaster Sheffield Airport. MDs, CEOs and senior staff from every sector, sign letter to pledge support for the airport.
14th AprilBA owner complains Heathrow residents’ compensation is ‘too high’. IAG has written to the Government as part of its response to the consultation on the Heathrow expansion proposal and claimed the pledged compensation scheme is too generous.
19th April Cornwall Newquay Airport is on target again to be fastest growing airport in UK.  Airport MD Al Titterington wants to get access to a mainland European hub.
21st April New bus service to begin between Bristol Airport and Weston-super-Mare. The new A3 AirportFlyer service will commence on Sunday 30th April.
24th April Southend Airport calls on Easyjet to base 20 more planes there. Airport boss claims Southend is the only London base with the space to expand.
26th April Watch how Glasgow Airport’s new pick up/drop off zone will work. The multi-million pound pick-up/drop-off point opposite the main terminal building opens tomorrow.
26th AprilHeathrow will use expansion to push growth in off-site construction in UK.  It’s inviting communities to show why their area should host one of 4 new off-site logistics hubs.
27th AprilLondon City Airport CEO is to step down.  Search begins for his replacement.

 

Other Aviation Industry News  

1st April Article concerning airline waste, circular economy and sustainable aviation.  Published in the Guardian.
3rd April Britain’s airports on cyber terror alert. Government security services have issued a number of alerts to this critical UK infrastructure.
3rd AprilRyanair boss warns that UK flights risk being ‘cut off’ post-Brexit. Says the Government is unsure what they were doing regarding negotiating a post-Brexit aviation agreement with the EU.
4th AprilScottish MSP renews calls for rethink on aviation tax. Patrick Harvie who sits on Holyrood’s Finance Committee, says this policy has zero environmental credibility.
7th AprilBoth Belfast Airports combined welcomed nearly 8 million passengers in 2016. This is the highest figure on record for both airports.
7th AprilSecretary of State for Transport says Welsh economy will benefit from Heathrow 3rd runway.
13th April – CAA publishes its written evidence submitted to the TSC inquiry into airspace management and modernisation (CAP 1532).  It can be seen here.
18th AprilAOA CEO wants clear vision for aviation in election campaign. She says airports will be looking to the political parties to set out a clear vision for the future of UK aviation.
19th AprilFlybe’s new boss expresses fears of reduced passenger numbers post-Brexit. She has urged the Government to strike a deal to protect companies.
23rd April:  Subjects raised at the Routes Conference 2017 in Belfast include:
Europe’s aviation sector faces uncertainty. Political and security issues, overcapacity and rising oil prices are among the key challenges.
ATC strikes remain Europe’s biggest single aviation issue.  Airlines for Europe (A4E) MD said in the last 6 years in Europe there had been 117 strikes causing 217 strike days for the sector.    Routes Conference 2018 will be held in Bilbao, Spain.
25th April EASA launches a consultation for new Certification Specifications for Airports. Apart from economic gain, the proposals mean environmental benefits with more efficient use of available land and reduced consumption of construction materials for infrastructure.
27th AprilGreen Party slams aviation tax cut plans. Party cites fresh research showing the richest 10% of households stand to gain four times as much than the poorest 10%.

 

SASIG Library Additions    

Two presentations by guest speakers given at the SASIG full meeting held in London on Friday, 7th April 2017: