Editorial
The unexpected election result and complications relating thereto left it unclear for a while whether there might be any fallout relating to the previous administration’s ongoing policy processes concerning a National Policy Statement and Airspace and Noise. However, the re-appointment of Chris Grayling as Secretary of State appears to have maintained a measure of continuity (in this area of transport policy at least) and the Department is considering responses received over the summer with a view to laying a final NPS before the house next year.
A new Night Flights regime for the three largest London Airports was issued on 13 July, with the provisions to come into effect in October this year.
Lord Ahmad’s re-assignment has seen Lord Callanan take over as Aviation Minister; his connections to the North East could result in the regional aspects of aviation policy taking a higher profile, and following the equally important appointment of Cllr Keith Artus as the new Chairman of SASIG a request has been sent to Lord Callanan for a meeting.
On 21st July, the Government published its long awaited scoping consultation document for a new Aviation strategy for the UK. Although issued quietly just before Parliament rose, this is nevertheless a very important document and the start of a significant period of work and engagement with Government for SASIG.
Finally, an interesting article can found here on the need for a pre-brexit aviation agreement.
Chris Cain,
Head of Secretariat
Monthly Highlights
5th July – Government Transport Investment Strategy is published.
6th July – CAA launches a consultation looking at how they can influence the aviation industry’s noise performance. See here.
13th July – Government issued an update on the Airport National Policy statement here. It also published its response to the consultation held earlier this year on a new night flight regime for Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted. The full statement can be viewed here and the Consultation response decision document can be accessed here.
21st July – Transport Secretary Chris Grayling launched plans for the new UK Aviation Strategy – see here.
Editor’s Forward Look
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: http://ec.europa.eu/info/consultations_en
Contents
- Meetings and Conferences
- Parliamentary and Government News
- National and Regional News
- Other Aviation Industry News
- SASIG Library Additions
- Print this newsletter
SASIG Meetings
– 11th October: Airports, Cities & Economic Growth Technical Working Group (venue tbc)
– 1st November: Surface Access Technical Working Group and Environment, Planning and Airspace Technical Working Group (venue tbc)
– 16th November: SASIG full meeting (venue tbc)
External Meetings and Conferences
– 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.
– 23rd-26th September 2017: World Routes 2017, Barcelona: The 23rd World Route Development Forum.
– 3rd-4th October 2017: ATAG Global Sustainable Aviation Summit: Geneva, Switzerland.
– 13th-14th November 2017: 6th European Aviation Conference: Dublin City University, Ireland
– 6th-7th December 2017: AEI: 2017: Airport Expansion and Improvements: Hosted and Sponsored by Heathrow Airport, London Heathrow Marriott Hotel.
– 14th-16th May 2018: 11th ACI Europe Regional Airports Conference & Exhibition: Naples, Italy.
Parliamentary and Government News
Transport Questions: House of Commons: 13th July 2017
Airports/Ports: Effect of leaving the EU
David Linden (Glasgow East) (SNP): 2. What recent discussions he has had with the Home Secretary on the potential effect on passenger capacity at airports and ports of the UK leaving the EU. [900452]
The Secretary of State for Transport (Chris Grayling): My Department is working closely with a number of other Departments, including the Home Office, to ensure that ports, airports and other transport operators are fully prepared for when we leave the EU. I am committed to putting passengers at the heart of our transport policy, and that will certainly apply to the arrangements that exist when we leave the EU.
David Linden: Brexit will present profound challenges for immigration at our ports and airports, but the Tourism Industry Council forecasts that there should be a 200% increase in resources for the UK Border Force while in effect there has been a 15% cut, despite an 11% increase in passenger numbers. How does the Secretary of State square that circle, and how can we ensure that we will have passenger safety after Brexit?
Chris Grayling: Our ambition after Brexit is to have borders that function as closely as possible to the way they currently do. We do not want to deter tourists or businesspeople from coming to the country. Having a managed migration system does not mean that we suddenly have to create barriers to tourists, and that is not our intention.
Alan Brown (Kilmarnock & Loudoun) (SNP): The Secretary of State did not provide any substance in that answer on the discussions he is having. Some 23 million inbound passengers from the EU pass through UK airports each year, and they are processed quickly using special lanes and scanning. What funding has the Secretary of State identified is required for infrastructure and resources to avoid queues for those coming here? He might also be aware that the EU is planning an ESTA-type visa system for non-EU citizens, so has he had discussions about the impact of that when the UK leaves the EU?
Chris Grayling: Of course, we have discussions all the time across the Government about post-EU exit arrangements—we had a Committee meeting to that effect yesterday—but as I said to the hon. Member for Glasgow East (David Linden), it is not our intention or desire to erect barriers at the borders, for tourists arriving, for example. Indeed, we are investing in things like automated gates to speed the flow through our borders, and we will carry on doing things like that.
Alan Brown: Another potential impact on passenger capacity is the negative impact if the UK does not remain part of the open skies agreement. That is very important for regional airports such as Prestwick, adjacent to my constituency. The Prime Minister said this week that she had discussions with President Trump on open skies, but can the Secretary of State provide an assurance that the UK will remain part of open skies and the single aviation market?
Chris Grayling: I can give the hon. Gentleman an assurance that I am absolutely confident that after we have left the EU there will be an open skies agreement with the United States. I have had discussions with my US counterpart; there is an absolute desire on both sides of the Atlantic to make sure that the aviation arrangements remain as they are at the moment.
Karl Turner (Kingston upon Hull East) (Lab): Can the Minister clarify that on leaving the EU we will remain members of the European Aviation Safety Agency, so as to maintain and grow our passenger capacity in accordance with our economic needs?
Chris Grayling: Obviously the details will come out in the negotiations, but we want to continue to collaborate with our European partners on air safety issues, just as we do with other organisations around the world, such as the US Federal Aviation Administration, and I see nothing to suggest that that will change after we leave.
Karl Turner: But have we not already seen this Government’s shocking acceptance of departing from EASA safety standards by condoning the wet-leasing of Qatar Airways services to replace the poverty-paid British Airways mixed-fleet crews, in which the substitute crews’ hours will not be subject to the safety standards prescribed by EASA?
Chris Grayling: I am sure that all the international airlines that operate into and out of the United Kingdom maintain proper safety standards. They are subject to regulation at European and international levels, and they would not be able to use UK airports if we were not confident that they were safe airlines to fly with.
Parliamentary Questions
Q.1. Question (2080) asked by Mark Priske (Hertford & Stortford) on 29th June 2017: “To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, in which month the final National Airports Policy Statement will be published”.
A. John Hayes on 7th July 2017: “The consultation on the draft Airports National Policy Statement closed on 25 May, and we are analysing the tens of thousands of responses received. The Government will set out the next steps in the process in due course”.
Q.2. Question (2529) asked by Chi Onwurah (Newcastle upon Tyne Central) on 3rd July 2017: “To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps the Government is planning to take to improve road and rail access to Newcastle International Airport”.
A. Jesse Norman on 6th July 2017: “The Government is supporting a number of investments to improve access to the Airport. The £61m Coal House to Metro Centre improvement scheme is already improving journey times on the A1 and further phases are under development. We are also providing £317m for the reinvigoration and asset renewal programme on the Tyne and Wear Metro, which provides direct services to the Airport”.
Q.3. Question (1331) asked by Hilary Benn (Leeds Central) on 27th June 2017: “To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will list all the bilateral agreements between the UK and EU member states relating to air travel which predate the current EU air travel regime and which were current when that regime was adopted; and if he will make a statement”.
A. John Hayes on 3rd July 2017: “Prior to the current EU air travel regime coming into effect, the UK had bilateral air services arrangements with all Member States of the European Union”.
Q.4. Question (2809) asked by Hilary Benn (Leeds Central) on 4th July 2017: “To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 3 July 2017 to Question 1331, whether bilateral air services arrangements with all EU member states will still apply in the event that the UK leaves the EU air travel regime”.
A. John Hayes on 10th July 2017: “The nature of the UK’s future air services relationship with the EU and Member States will be determined through the UK’s negotiations for an orderly exit from the EU”.
Q.5. Question (5607) asked by Kerry McCarthy (Bristol East) on 17th July 2017: “To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, with reference to the Answer of 17 January 2017 to Question 60272, on European Aviation Standards Authority: Membership, what the Government’s policy is on retaining membership of the European Aviation Standards Authority in negotiations on the UK leaving the EU”.
A. Robin Walker on 20th July 2017: “The Government will ensure that a high standard of aviation safety is maintained but the precise form of our relationship with EASA will be a matter for the negotiations”.
Q.6. Question (HL1038) asked by Lord Trefgarne on 18th July 2017: “To ask Her Majesty’s Government what are their plans for the regulation of UK civil aviation following Brexit”.
A. Lord Callanan on 24th July 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. The Repeal Bill, introduced into the House of Commons on 13 July, will convert EU law as it stands at the moment of Exit into domestic law before we leave the EU. 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”.
Q.7. Question (HL1088) asked by Lord MacKenzie of Culkein on 19th July 2017: “To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of whether there is a legal mechanism by which airlines operating from the UK can fly to territories in the EU (1) if the UK ceases to be a member of the European Aviation Safety Agency, or (2) is no longer party to the European Open Skies programme”.
A. Lord Callanan on 25th July 2017: “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. As part of the exit negotiations, the Government will discuss with the EU and Member States how best to continue cooperation in the field of aviation safety and standards”.
Q.8. Question (5979) asked by Bill Esterson (Sefton Central) on 18th July 2017: “To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 17 July 2017 to Question 4566, how much his Department has spent (a) analysing the responses received to the draft Airports National Policy Statement and (b) undertaking an economic assessment of the effect of a new runway at Heathrow”.
A. John Hayes on 25th July 2017: “The Department has contracted an external provider to collect, analyse and report on the comments received from responses to the draft Airports National Policy Statement consultation, as well as the consultation on Airspace Policy that was run in parallel. These consultations closed on 25 May and we are currently analysing more than 70,000 responses, the vast majority of which relate to the draft National Policy Statement. As at the time of answering, the Department has spent approximately £458,000, excluding VAT, on this contract. The Government takes the views of the public very seriously and is considering the responses closely. The economic assessment of the Heathrow Northwest Runway scheme, one of three shortlisted schemes, was published in the Further Review and Sensitivities Report in October 2016 and is largely based on evidence produced by the Airports Commission. This followed an internal review supported by two academics under contract for less than £5,000, which concluded that the evidence base was fit for purpose”.
Government News
5th July – Government Transport Investment Strategy is published.
13th July – Government issued an update on the Airport National Policy statement which can be seen here. It also published its response to the consultation held earlier this year on a new night flight regime for Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted. The full statement can be viewed here and the Consultation response decision document can be seen on our website or accessed here.
21st July – Transport Secretary Chris Grayling launched plans for the new UK Aviation Strategy to help shape and promote the future of the aviation industry both up to 2050 and beyond. For further information please see here.
3rd July – Gatwick Airport’s new route to Taipai takes the airport’s long haul network to 60 routes. This is now the largest in the world for a single runway airport.
5th July – Business summit can help Welsh businesses capitalise on Heathrow expansion. The aim of the summit is to help Welsh based SMEs better understand the needs of Heathrow and its supply chain.
5th July – New agreement made to boost Heathrow Airport rail services. Heathrow, TfL and the DfT have agreed a commitment to boost integrated rail connectivity to the airport.
5th July – Stansted Airport to consult the public over capacity expansion plans. It will hold a series of local community consultation events to get the views of local residents on lifting flight caps.
5th July – Heathrow appoints new Head of Legal for Planning for third runway. This is a newly-created role for the controversial project.
6th July – Study commissioned looking at connecting Doncaster Airport to East Coast mainline to provide a station. The airport unveils early design concepts for the station.
6th July – Norwich Airport debut new Masterplan. The Masterplan covers development up to 2045 and aims to treble passenger numbers and forge new global routes.
7th July – Heathrow plans to charge motorists £15 to enter ‘congestion cordon’ around airport. This is intended to reduce air pollution and encourage rail travel to airport.
7th July – UK airlines respond to Heathrow’s congestion charge proposal. CE of Airlines UK says Government must do more to improve public transport to the airport.
7th July – Stop Stansted Expansion issues warning to local residents about the airports further expansion plans. SSE says consultation exhibition is biased.
10th July – New proposal shakes up Heathrow debate. Hotel/property company offers a proposal for an alternative design that promises to cut the overall cost by over a third.
10th July – Edinburgh Airport reveals new plans. New business and residential hub would replace the secondary runway to the south-east of the terminal building.
10th July – Luton Airport numbers rise after rail link gets go-ahead. Latest figures show a 6.2 % increase compared to June 2016, meaning 39 consecutive months of passenger growth.
10th July – Report published today urges unlocking of bottlenecks in Gatwick region. Gatwick Growth Board objective is to ensure that areas across the region capture the regeneration benefit from the growth of Gatwick Airport.
10th July – First of the Stansted Airport consultation roadshows are held. The airport is hosting nine roadshows in July to get views of local residents to help shape its plans to make best use of existing runway capacity at the airport.
12th July – MAG profits and passenger numbers rise over the last year. The Group which owns Manchester, Stansted, East Midlands and Bournemouth airports, saw pre-tax profits rise 8% to £343.2 million and passenger numbers rise 7.7% to 55.9 million.
12th July – Quieter homes scheme opened to Heathrow neighbours. Heathrow launches bespoke noise insulation free of charge to local homeowners.
13th July – Doncaster Sheffield Airport wins European award. It won the Euro ANNIES Award for the most passenger growth in the 1-2 million passenger category – a 46.4% rise.
18th July – Transport Times: ‘A Heathrow that meets its targets’. Jim Steer, Director, Steer Davies Gleave comments on the decision that will allow Crossrail services to reach Heathrow’s Terminal 5 from December 2019.
20th July – Gatwick asks passengers to use approved car parks. Urges this after a non-approved company failed to return vehicles to over a hundred passengers.
21st July – Cross-party MPs form new APPG group to question the case for Heathrow 3rd runway. The APPG will scrutinise the issues related to the proposed expansion.
23rd July – New videos reveal peoples’ experience of aircraft noise. Anti-aircraft noise group HACAN releases videos in which people explain the impact of aircraft noise from Heathrow.
24th July – East Midlands Airport welcomes Government runway proposals. It supports the proposal to increase runway capacity at UK airports whilst a third Heathrow runway is built.
25th July – Stansted Airport C.E. welcomes Government strategy to make full use of existing runway capacity. Says by lifting the current planning caps, Stansted will serve around 44m passengers a year on its existing runway by 2030 and within current environmental limits.
25th July – Passengers vote Newcastle Airport ‘best in the country’. 16 airports were marked over 13 categories including shopping, cleanliness, Wi-Fi access, bar and restaurant facilities, check-in and security.
26th July – East Midlands Airport calls for more trains. It wants improved railway links to its nearest station – and has pledged to put £2.5m towards the changes it wants to see.
27th July – Heathrow airport charges likely to remain the same despite 3rd runway project. Airport says it’s working with airlines to find ways of reducing the cost of expansion.
27th July – Crossrail 2 is ‘tremendous breakthrough’ for Stansted Airport. The £30 billion project could boost regional economy by opening up lines between Cambridge and London.
28th July – Heathrow confirms it will not be building Terminal 6. The move is expected to knock ’several billions’ off the cost of the proposed new runway at the airport.
31st July – Aviation sees busiest ever summer for airports and airlines. Heathrow and Gatwick airports are handling far more passengers than their design capacities.
5th July – IAG passenger and load factor grow year on year in June. IAG who own BA, Aer Lingus and Iberia, said it increased by 3.9% in June.
5th July – Government’s Transport Investment Strategy published. AOA Chief Executive says this together with the Government’s upcoming Aviation Strategy provide great opportunities to address surface access connectivity issues at UK airports.
6th July – CAA launches a consultation looking at how they can influence the aviation industry’s noise performance. They would like to hear from people impacted by aviation noise to get a better understanding of what they would like the CAA to do about noise. The consultation will last until January 2018 and can be seen here.
11th July – Ryanair boss says there will be ‘no flights’ between EU and UK after Brexit. He told the European Parliament flights would be cancelled for months, unless replacements for EU airline agreements are struck before Britain leaves EU.
11th July – Europe’s airports want UK to set detailed Brexit position and safeguard connectivity. Warning was raised during a public hearing in the European Parliament.
12th July – Secretary of State for Transport addresses the Aviation Club lunch. The Rt Hon Chris Grayling MP discusses Heathrow, aviation strategy, airspace modernisation, the EU and the long-term prospects for aviation. His speech can be read here.
12th July – New Aviation & Technology centre will spearhead UK research into digital aviation. The centre will be built at Cranfield University and cost £65 million.
13th July – AOA Chief Executive responds to Government’s night flight consultation outcome. The response can be seen here.
17th July – European airports call for Brexit not to harm aviation. The Airport Services Association has called for urgent action to ensure that ‘Brexit’ does not harm the aviation sector “in the UK, EU and beyond”.
20th July – Labour front-bencher claims Brexit will cause aviation ‘death spiral’. Shadow trade minister Barry Gardiner said the UK negotiating team needs to show clarity on whether the country will continue to pay in certain EU agencies.
21st July – Transport Secretary Chris Grayling launched plans for the new UK Aviation Strategy to help shape and promote the future of the aviation industry both up to 2050 and beyond. For further information please see here.
21st July – Airlines welcome Government’s Aviation Strategy. Board of UK Airline Representatives (BAR UK) has welcomed the Government’s new vision for the future.
22nd July – Government announces new rules to better regulate drone use. Drones will have to be registered and users will have to sit safety awareness tests.
22nd July – NATS warn of ‘over-crowded skies’ due to Government policy and 3rd Heathrow runway. They say their ability to deal with this surge is being stretched to the limit.
25th July – Ryanair says Brexit will ground flights and cancel holidays unless EU ‘open skies’ deal is struck. Airline FO warns the chances of the UK remaining in the agreement appear “narrower by the day”.
26th July – Regional airline Flybe shares surge. Buoyant passenger growth plus evidence the airline finally has control over the number of seats it offers has helped its shares rocket.
26th July – BA could launch ‘two airlines in one’ service. This concept would be where the front of the plane is a premium carrier and the back is budget.
31st July – Manchester Airport offers quicker way through passport control. It’s introducing a ‘fast-track’ lane in arrivals from 1st August with ‘introductory’ tickets costing £4.
On 21st June, 2017, SASIG attended the 1st Annual (2017) Airport Surface Access conference organised by the Waterfront Conference Company and held in Ashurst, London. The conference title was: ‘Delivering improved rail and road access to airports and maximising the benefits of connectivity’. Two of the presentations given at this conference can be seen on the SASIG website as below:
The role of improving surface access to enable airports to compete and grow
by Roger Jones, DfT Rail Advisor -Airport Surface Access
Connecting the UK’s economy: How better access to airports can boost growth
by Peter O’Broin, AOA Policy Manager
6th July – The guest speaker at the SASIG AGM meeting was Tim Johnson, Director of the Aviation Environment Federation (AEF) who gave a presentation titled “Community View on Consultations and of ICCAN”. His presentation can be read here.