Contents
SASIG 2013/14 Meeting Dates
Regional News
Industry News
Government News
House of Commons Questions
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
16 June 2013 – An exhibition about plans for an A6-Manchester Airport relief road is being held in Disley in July. Around 9,000 people responded to the first stage of the consultation, and following analysis of the feedback received, Stockport, Cheshire East and Manchester city councils have revised proposals to develop an emerging preferring scheme. A second phase of consultation will run until July 19 and will involve an exhibition at Disley Community Centre on July 4.
17 June 2013 – In its latest submission to the Airports Commission, Heathrow Airport Ltd have published figures of what it believes would be borough-by-borough job losses if the airport were to close. The report asserts that Hounslow could see over 10 thousand workers lose their jobs, potentially increasing local unemployment from eight per cent to 16 per cent. The report, entitled Best Placed for Britain’ is available on the Airport’s website and also on the SASIG website here.
18 June 2013 – London City Airport has invested £10,000 in two new solar-powered runway guard lights. The lights are capable of running for 120 days without re-charging. Earlier this year London City Airport became only the fourth UK airport to become Airport Carbon Accredited.
19 June 2013 – Newcastle Airport is beginning a process to reclaim money from its former Chief Executive, John Parkin. 20 June 2013 – A judge has heard that a bonus payment to Mr Parkin was ‘dramatically inconsistent with the principle of fair and responsible remuneration’.
20 June 2013 – Airport managers at Land’s End Airport are reported to be considering laying a ‘hard runway’ at the airport after it was waterlogged over two months during the winter . Residents living nearby said they were concerned about planning issues and the visual impact of a new runway. The owners of the airport said it was looking at whether it needed planning permission for a hard runway, or whether it could be built as a permitted development, which would not require planning approval from Cornwall Council.
21 June 2013 – According to figures from the Civil Aviation Authority 1.2 million Welsh air passengers used Cardiff Airport for travel last year compared to 1.24 million people from Wales using Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted and Luton over the same period . A further 759,000 flew from Manchester Airport, 198,000 from Birmingham Airport and 15,000 from East Midlands Airport.
Industry News
17 June 2013 – British Airways will take delivery of an Airbus A380 superjumbo and Boeing 787 Dreamliner on 5 July.
17 June 2013 – Gatwick Airport have trialled iris recognition photography as part of a check in process. The new system, which was tested for three months earlier this year, entails a passenger having a photograph taken of their iris when they check in their luggage – this is linked to their boarding pass. Anyone travelling with only hand luggage is photographed as they go through security.
17 June 2013 – Five additional aircraft stands have now been completed at Southend Airport to increase the airport’s capacity. These stands are part of the expansion of the new passenger terminal and follow the opening of an arrivals development earlier this month.
18 June 2013 – Ryanair has been ranked the number one airline in terms of international passenger numbers by IATA in its new World Air Transport Statistics report. The airline carried 79.65 million international passengers in 2012, Lufthansa second and EasyJet third, carrying 44.6 million passengers. For overall passengers – domestic and international – Delta Air Lines was ranked number one with 117 million passengers.
18 June 2013 – When trade unionists began raising concerns about the health impact of pollution on airfield ground and service crews, including possible links to cancer, Copenhagen Airport moved to restrict aircraft engine use.The pollution-control efforts mark the first time a European airport has launched a programme specifically aimed at reducing the risks that ultrafine particulate matter emitted from exhaust have on frontline workers.
19 June 2013 – A report by the research firm Euromonitor International has forecast that domestic business travel is set to grow more strongly in the next five years than international trips. Euromonitor also predict that spending on travel will increasingly move towards new and emerging markets.
Government News
I was also able to fully support the general approach on the Proposal on occurrence reporting in civil aviation amending Regulation (EU) No 996/2010 and repealing Directive 2003/42/EC, Commission Regulation (EC) No 1321/2007 and Commission Regulation (EC) No 1330/2007. This proposal will update the rules requiring member states to establish reporting systems for aviation safety incidents.
Under Any Other Business, the Commission reported on the latest developments on the aviation Emissions Trading Scheme in the International Civil Aviation Organisation. I stressed the importance of achieving a positive outcome at the ICAO Assembly in September and the need for the Commission to develop a comprehensive engagement and negotiating strategy.
The Commission also introduced its recently issued proposal to revise the 2004 rules on air passenger rights which it hoped would bring clarity following the ruling of the ECJ in relation to denied boarding, and liabilities for airlines as a result of a number of extraordinary events in aviation since 2010. While welcoming the proposal, I noted that the UK would only be able to accept the regulation if it applied in full to Gibraltar Airport.
Lithuania will take over the EU Presidency from 1 July, and outlined their transport agenda. They would be seeking an agreement with the European Parliament on all elements of the Roadworthiness package, Occurrence Reporting in Civil Aviation and on the Marine Equipment Directive. They would also finalise agreement with the European Parliament on the European Marine Safety Agency Funding Regulation. For outstanding legislation, Lithuania would advance technical discussions on the Fourth Railway Package and seek a General Approach on Air Passenger Rights.
Finally, I participated in the signing of a comprehensive air services agreement between the EU and Israel.
20 June 2013 – The Airports Commission will hold public evidence sessions on 9 July 2013 in Manchester and 10July 2013 in London. The sessions will be chaired by Sir Howard Davies and he will be joined on the panel by the other Commissioners. The sessions are focused on the Commission’s work assessing the nature, scale and timing of the UK’s aviation needs. They will develop the evidence base on the subjects of the discussion papers – demand forecasting, connectivity, climate change and airport operational models – published by the Commission earlier this year.
House of Commons Questions
Jarvis – Departmental approach to noise compensation
17 June 2013
Dan Jarvis (Labour, Barnsley Central): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps his Department is taking alongside the aviation industry to develop a comprehensive nationwide approach to noise compensation.
Simon Burns: The Government issued its Aviation Policy Framework (APF) in March 2013, which sets out its high level strategy for aviation. The APF includes a chapter on noise and other local environmental impacts, which contains policy on noise insulation and compensation.
Jarvis – Increased use of airports outside south east England
17 June 2013
Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps his Department is taking to increase the use of airports outside south east England.
Simon Burns: The Government recognises the important role that airports across the UK play in providing domestic and international connections and the vital contribution they can make to the growth of regional economies. Airports outside the south-east of England also have an important role in helping to accommodate wider forecast growth in demand for aviation in the UK, which could help take some pressure off London’s main airports. The Aviation Policy Framework, published on 22 March 2013, supports making the best use airports outside the south-east of England, subject to the appropriate management of local environmental impacts. We will continue to work with the aviation industry and other stakeholders to support airports outside the south-east, including seeking to encourage hew routes and improving airport surface access provision. The Government has also established the independent Airports Commission to assess how the UK should maintain its position as Europe’s most important aviation hub. The Commission’s remit from Government requires it to maintain a UK-wide perspective, taking appropriate account of the national, regional and local implications of any proposals.
Evans, J – Expansion of air cargo
18 June 2013
Jonathan Evans (Conservative, Cardiff North): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent discussions he has had on the expansion of air cargo in the UK; and if he will make a statement.
Simon Burns: Since taking up his position, the Secretary of State for Transport, my right hon. Friend the Member for Derbyshire Dales (Patrick McLoughlin, Transport Secretary), has had a number of discussions about the air cargo industry, the most recent of which was with Sir Howard Davies with regard to his work at the Airports Commission. The independent commission will examine how best the UK can maintain its international connectivity, which is expected to include the needs of air cargo. We will continue to support the development of air freight, while striking the right balance between a thriving aviation industry and minimising impacts on the environment and local communities.
Rosindell – Construction of St Helena Airport
18 June 2013
Andrew Rosindell (Conservative, Romford): To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many gallons of water have been used in the airport construction project on St Helena (a) per day and (b) since construction began.
Lynne Featherstone, International Development Minister: Figures are not available for the amount of water used since construction commenced. The water is sourced from boreholes on Prosperous Bay Plain and at Dry Gut. They are entirely separate to the water systems that supply the rest of the island so St Helena’s domestic supply is unaffected by construction activities. The water in each borehole returns to its original level whenever extraction ceases so the impact on the localised water table is negligible.
McPartland – Renaming Heathrow Airport, Churchill Airport
19 June 2013
Stephen McPartland (Conservative, Stevenage): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make it his policy that Heathrow airport be renamed Churchill airport.
Simon Burns, Transport Minister (Conservative Party, Chelford): The Government’s Aviation Policy Framework does not comment on how individual airports in the UK are named. Decisions regarding the renaming of airports are a matter for individual airports’ owners.
Malhotra – Increase in numbers of Airbus A380s landing at Heathrow Airport
19 June 2013
Seema Malhotra (Labour, Feltham and Heston): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he plans to take to ensure that an increase in the number of Airbus A380s landing at Heathrow airport does not affect the continued operation of runway alternation.
Simon Burns: The increasing use of aircraft like the Airbus A380 at Heathrow airport, which are typically both larger and quieter than the aircraft they replace, could help the airport operator and airlines to make more effective use of the existing runway capacity at our biggest and busiest airport while reducing the noise impact on local communities. On the issue of runway alternation, the trial of operational freedoms at Heathrow included proactive tests to better understand the relationship between alternation and the arrival of A380s in order to maintain airport operations while respecting spacing rules for protection from wake vortices. The Government intends to consult on the results of the trial in due course.
Malhotra – Changes in the number of A380s flying into London Airports
19 June 2013
Seema Malhotra: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of likely changes in the number of A380s flying into London airports in the next 10 years.
Simon Burns: In 2012 there were nearly 6,000 movements of A380s in and out of London airports. The Department’s aviation forecasting model suggests that between 2012 and 2023 there will be an additional 10,000 movements in and out of London airports by A380s.
Media News
17 June 2013 – The Labour party is calling for UK airlines to introduce faster boarding for members of UK Armed Forces. Jim Murphy MP, Labour’s Shadow Defence Secretary, has written to 22 airlines proposing that they offer the service but none agreed. The practicehas been implemented in the United States by American Airlines.
The Parliamentary information in this Bulletin is sourced from De Havilland Information Services plc.