Contents
SASIG 2013/14 Meeting Dates
Regional News
Industry News
European News
Parliamentary News
Government News
House of Lords -Oral Question tabled
Media News
SASIG 2014/15 Meeting Dates
24 October 2014
6 March 2015
Meetings are held at Local Government House, Smith Square, SW1P 3HZ, location map.
Regional News
13 October 2014 – Defence company BAE Systems has offered help to aviation operators who are based at Blackpool Airport. BAE Systems said it was in talks with a number of operators to offer short-term use of its aviation facilities. The company’s site in Warton, Lancashire, has an operational airfield and air traffic control.
14 October 2014 – The number of people using Manchester Airport rose again last month to 2.3 million, up from 2.2 million in the same period last year. The annual rolling total is currently 21.7 million passengers, meaning that the airport is on course to beat its previous record of 22 million passengers in a year.
14 October 2014 – Communities in Wythenshawe, Northern Moor, and Baguley will be connected to the Metrolink network from 3 November when the new 15-stop airport line is due to open to passengers. Test trams will start running without passengers between Cornbrook and the airport every 12 minutes on 20 October. From November, trams from the airport will run as far as Cornbrook initially, until the Second City Crossing opens in 2017, unlocking extra track capacity through the city centre. Journeys from the Airport to Cornbrook, where passengers can connect with frequent services to stops across the network, will take around 45 minutes and will effectively double the number of trams running between St Werburgh’s Road and Cornbrook.
14 October 2014 – Stansted Airport is reminding local residents, businesses and community groups they have just four more weeks to have their say on its Draft Sustainable Development Plan. The 10 week consultation runs until November 7 and sets out how the airport will develop to make use of the existing capacity of its single runway.
14 October 2014 –In the debate at Essex County Council, Leader of the Council David Finch called on the Government to provide a ‘fairer deal’ for Essex. Councillor Finch has called on Government to deliver a devolution of powers to Essex local authorities, fair and consistent funding of public services for the residents of Essex and a fairer representation at Westminster for Essex MPs.
15 October 2014 – The new owners of the former Manston Airport site are planning a £1 billion redevelopment into a mixed-use scheme with businesses, homes, shops, schools and community facilities. Mr Musgrave and Mr Cartner said, ‘Whilst it is too early to be specific about our plans, we will be looking to comprehensively redevelop the whole site to create a mixed-use community. This is in light of the fact that the airport has closed, the equipment has been sold and it will not reopen’.
15 October 2014 – Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport and Aviation Minister Robert Goodwill has said that his constituents in Scarborough and Whitby preferred to fly from Manchester Airport – even though Bradford Airport was closer. Replying in a Commons debate on problems getting to and from at the airport, the transport minister said he was ‘well aware’ of the need for improvements. He told MPs, ‘my own constituents tell me it is more convenient to use Manchester Airport because there is an express transpennine service through Leeds. They can get on a train in Scarborough and get off that train in the terminal at Manchester Airport’.
15 October 2014 – The mayor of Bristol George Ferguson has told business leaders and academics that cities like Cardiff and Bristol need to work together more to ensure greater economic success for their regions. This was particularly the case on areas such as operating competing airports he felt.
15 October 2014 – A cross-party group of MPs has called on the Government to improve public transport links to airports in the south-east of England. The group identify excessive car journeys and the consequent pollution as one of the biggest barriers to the future sustainability of airports.
16 October 2014 – A new £7m hotel is to be built at Humberside Airport. The development was approved by North East Lincolnshire Council and is set to host a major brand when complete.
16 October 2014 – A £10m office scheme at Robin Hood Airport in Doncaster has been approved. Prospect Property Group is developing the scheme, which will be part funded by the European Regional Development Fund.
16 October 2014 – The Member of Parliament for Surrey Heath, Michael Gove chaired a meeting with residents in his constituency concerned about aviation noise. Also at the meeting were Sustainability and Environment Director for Heathrow Airport Matt Gorman, Head of Air Traffic Management and Flight Performance Mark Burgess and NATS Ian Jopson. Mr Gorman admitted there had been insufficient notice of recent airspace trials given to villagers, and not enough information shared about what was happening and why. He explained the trials were part of a larger European programme led by the Civil Aviation Authority to modernise airspace, affecting not just Heathrow but all airports in the UK and across Europe. Mr Gove told residents that a final decision on how airspace is shared will be made by the Government of the day. He promised to ensure that he would represent the concerns of his constituency during any considerations of airspace. Mr Gove said, ‘if there is a decision made about future trials, a public meeting will be held so that there is an opportunity for us to explain what will happen’.
17 October 2014 – Campaign Group Hacan East have called on the UK Civil Aviation Authority to stop what they believe is a flawed consultation by London City Airport on proposed changes to flightpaths. Six weeks ago the airport began a consultation on the use of satellite navigations in planes, which would result in a narrower flightpath over Wansted, Leytonstone, Leyton and Barking. Under the plans, most planes travelling to and from the airport would use a ‘flight corridor’ over Waltham Forest and Redbridge, leading to concerns over noise disturbance.
17 October 2014 – Thanet Councillors have met to discuss a progress report on Manston Airport.
Blackpool Airport
14 October 2014 – Blackpool Council’s Cabinet Member for Highways and Transport, Councillor John Jones issued a further statement to update local residents on the situation at Blackpool Airport. A full copy of the statement is available here. The statement reads as follows:
‘We appreciate that all the bad news of the last week has left many people across the Fylde Coast concerned about the future of Blackpool Airport. However, there is good reason to believe that there is a bright future ahead’.
‘We met with Balfour Beatty again on Friday to discuss their plans and the latest position regarding the potential new investors. They confirmed that interest in the site remains high with a number of parties expressing an interest with a range of proposals. Negotiations are ongoing and we now await further news on the progress of those discussions’.
‘I think it also important to consider how such an apparently popular airport with busy flights has come to close. It is pretty clear that we have a situation where a successful airline is operating in an unsuccessful airport. Jet2 have been operating profitably, while the losses at the airport have been around £2 million per annum. Balfour Beatty even took Jet2 to court to try and reduce the imbalance in this relationship, but this failed. Furthermore, with Jet2 planning to reduce their Blackpool flight numbers further next year, it would be difficult to see how anyone would have been prepared to take on that arrangement. The contract was, in our view, an extremely onerous one with very high fixed costs for the owners and one that could not be sustained. Jet2 have to operate in the interests of shareholders and we understand that, but their stance has certainly not been supportive of continuing operations in Blackpool. Therefore this parting was somewhat inevitable and we want to place on record our frustration that more has not been done by Jet2, in particular, to make the airport work for all parties. We also feel more could have been done by the airport operators to try to bring in new routes and airlines’.
‘Going forward, as well as staying close to negotiations, we will be attending a meeting in Westminster next week with MPs, Government Ministers and other bodies where the situation will be discussed, considering ways in which new funding could be accessed. Meanwhile, our focus needs to be on the people affected most directly, we will also be looking to offer further support to airport staff, on top of that already offered by Job Centre Plus. A number of potential opportunities have been identified, the most recent example being potential work with Blackpool Transport, which may be helpful to staff who may lose their jobs. A team will be visiting staff at the airport very soon to discuss this. We will also be holding a drop-in session at the Enterprise Centre on Lytham Road on Friday 17 October from 10am until 3pm. ‘We will provide a further update as soon as we can’.
14 October 2014 – Airline operator Jet2 and the owners of Blackpool Airport have been accused of not doing enough to save the Fylde site. Blackpool Council blamed the airport’s ‘onerous contract’ with Jet2 and a failure to bring in new routes. Jet2 claimed the firm lacked ‘investment and drive’, following its takeover of the airport in 2008. Balfour Beatty declined to comment.
15 October 2014 – The final commercial flight has taken off from the now-closed Blackpool International Airport.
17 October 2014 – Liquidators have been appointed for Blackpool Airport Ltd.
Industry News
14 October 2014 – The owner of the Airline operator Virgin Atlantic Airways Ltd, Richard Branson said a shortage of operating slots at London’s Heathrow airport is so acute that it’s holding back the airline’s expansion. The limits on slots available at the carrier’s hub means that Virgin Atlantic must scrap an existing route before it can add a new destination, Branson, the British billionaire, said in an interview in Dallas yesterday. The airline is changing its route network to accommodate a partnership with Delta Air Lines Inc., which bought a 49 per cent stake last year.
14 October 2014 – New flights from Leeds Bradford airport to Alicante and Naples are being introduced by the airline operator Monarch in 2015. Next summer’s schedule from the Yorkshire airport features 10 routes with a total of 28 flights a week.
14 October 2014 – Aena Aeropuertos, Spain’s largest airport operator, will take control of Luton Airport. Aena is set to increase its ownership of the site to 51 per cent from 40 per cent. The agreement will coincide with the first step towards Aena’s privatisation.
15 October 2015 – The airline operator EasyJet is increasing air links between the UK and Holland with 154 flights each way a week from next spring. The carrier is opening a new base in Amsterdam with 108 flights each way to London every week. This equates to around 15 flights a day, with the introduction of an additional daily flight between Amsterdam and Gatwick airports. There will also be two extra frequencies a week to and from Bristol Airport.
15 October 2015 – London City Airport has been urged to contact residents whose homes could soon be under a flight corridor.
15 October 2014 – The Airport Operators Association has called on the Government and the UK Civil Aviation Authority to do more to help smaller airports.
16 October 2014 – The UK Civil Aviation Authority have launched a ‘Consultation on the Future Structure of the CAA’s Medical Department’. The purpose of this consultation is to seek the views of all interested parties on the options available to the CAA for carrying out aeromedical regulation and oversight and enabling the provision of aeromedical services. The consultation began on 16 October 2014 and run for eight weeks until 5 pm. on 11 December 2014. Stakeholders are invited to email their comments to [email protected]. Once all comments have been received, the CAA will publish a summary of comments and consider these views as part of its decision making process about the future of the Medical Department. The full consultation document can be found here on the CAA website.
16 October 2014 – President and Chief Executive of the airline operator KLM, Camiel Eurlings has stepped down from his role after four years. No explanation was given for Eurlings’ departure. He is replaced by Deputy Chief Executive and Chief Operating Officer Pieter Elbers who started his career with the Dutch airline in 1992.
19 October 2014 – The airline operator bmi regional has reported an increase in travellers wanting to fly from regional airports.
19 October 2014 – The airline operator Delta has said that it would continue to use Heathrow Airport even if Gatwick Airport were is selected for expansion.
European News
10 October 2014 – The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) requirement for all Registered Training Facilities (RTF) providing private pilot training, to become Approved Training Organisations (ATO), will be postponed, the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has confirmed. The Aircrew Regulation requires all pilot training leading to an EASA flight crew licence, to take place from an ATO. Implementation of the requirement for RTFs will now be deferred to April 2018, following a decision made on 9 October 2014 by the European regulator.
Under the original timeframe, RTFs had to become ATOs by April 2015, as part of a package of Europe-wide changes to the flight crew training industry. Following representations from many in the general aviation community, the CAA has worked with EASA to extend the transition deadline in order to permit work to be carried out to produce a more proportionate alternative set of European rules for private pilot training.
This decision, which acknowledges the difficulties some training schools have faced in meeting the original deadline, will enable schools to continue instructing students for the award of EASA private pilot licences until April 2018, while a more proportionate system is developed and put in place. The CAA will continue to work with EASA and members of the UK and European GA communities to develop alternative options, with the ultimate aim of providing a high quality pilot training structure.
Tony Rapson Head of the CAA’s General Aviation Unit said ‘This postponement is not only important in itself, but is also clear evidence of EASA starting to deliver on its commitment for ‘Simpler, Lighter, Better Rules for General Aviation.’
14 October 2014 – The sale of Slovenia’s Ljubljana Jože Pučnik Airport was formally completed last Friday as the 75.5 per cent stake was transferred to German airport operator Fraport, after the sellers received the proceeds. For its 6.82 per cent stake in Ljubljana Airport, the Slovenian Sovereign Holding received €15.990.656 from Fraport. On the other hand, for its 50.67 per cent shareholding in Jože Pučnik Airport, the Republic of Slovenia received €118.797.922.
14 October 2014 – Etihad Airways and Air Berlin have been blocked by German regulators from operating 34 codeshare routes this winter. The codeshare routes affected by the ruling include Air Berlin flights from Berlin Tegel to 20 destinations in Europe and North America, and from Berlin Tegel and Stuttgart Echterdingen to Abu Dhabi. All 34 codeshares have been cleared in the past. Etihad is currently under investigation in Germany over whether it ‘exercises too much control over’ Air Berlin, reports Reuters. Etihad Airways owns a 29 per cent stake in Air Berlin.
16 October 2014 – Eurocontrol has published the report ‘Eurocontrol Specification for Collaborative Environmental Management (CEM)’ – a ‘high level, generic protocol’ airport stakeholders can follow to jointly manage airport noise and emissions issues. The agency will formally launch the report at the Airports Council International 2014 Airport Exchange conference, which will be held 3-5 November in Paris. Several years in development, the CEM specification serves to formalise collaboration among ‘core’ stakeholders – airport operators, airlines and air navigation service providers (Ansps) – and sets out requirements and recommended practices necessary to establish working arrangements. It supports stakeholders’ ‘common awareness and understanding of the interdependencies and constraints facing each other’s business’, when confronted with the environmental impacts of air traffic operations. A full copy of the report can be found here.
Parliamentary News
15 October 2014 – A parliamentary debate was held on connectivity to Leeds Bradford International Airport. Members of Parliament discussed expansion of the site, access to the airport via road and rail and the upcoming feasibility study commissioned into connectivity to Leeds Bradford International by the Government. A full transcript of the debate is also available on the ‘Latest News’ page of the SASIG website here (you will need you log-in details to access this and other items on the site).
15 October 2014 – Responding to a debate on transport in the North East, Conservative Transport Minister John Hayes acknowledged that such infrastructure was critical in permitting wellbeing and opportunity. Calling for ‘a lateral, holistic approach’, he noted the challenge of looking at the interaction between different modes of transport despite the tendency of the Government to address issues in ‘silos’.
Mr Hayes acknowledged the difficulties experienced by those travelling to the North East by road, and hailed a new scheme that had recently been announced to ease congestion around Newcastle. One must be mindful of the specific challenges facing the area given the economic significance of its links to the rest of the UK, he acknowledged. He said that the Government was taking a strategic approach to road investment that would offer an improvement over the ‘stop-start’ status quo that had existed under Labour.
The Coalition was investing £24bn over the current Parliament and the next to pursue some 54 new road projects, he explained, highlighting commitments in the next spending round including funds set aside for both major projects and maintenance. He hailed comments about the need for improved bus services in rural areas, and drew attention to what he said was an internal split within the Opposition on this matter. Ultimately, this was a local matter, he insisted, though he pledged to pay further attention to pleas for an improvement in access to travel. On the East Coast Main Line, he pledged to look into concerns about the rolling stock, and conceded that this was of relevance to the franchise overall. Projects such as the electrification of other routes elsewhere in the north were all representative of the seriousness with which the Government took travel to this part of England, he declared. The Minister also highlighted contributions from Network Rail and the Regional Growth Fund towards the refurbishment of stations including Newcastle.
Responding for the Opposition, Shadow Transport Minister Gordon Marsden said that cooperation across the North was needed to create new mechanisms and structures. ‘We need to develop franchising schemes that can help to protect our bus services and their key role in society’, he said, calling buses ‘the neglected foundation of our communities’, which brought significant economic benefits and career opportunities. Given that they also had environmental benefits, the whole country must have suitable bus services like London did, he argued, calling the inequalities inherent in the funding arrangements ‘absurd’. He attacked the Government for cutting bus funding.
Labour would support large cities and combined authorities if they wished to create London-style bus services and structures, Mr Marsden explained. He hailed the benefits of franchising systems, which could offer strategic planning and reasonable fares on multi-operator tickets, as well as improvements to frequency and punctuality, the provision of information at bus stops and concessions for specific social groups. A deregulated environment often promoted ‘crude cartels or de facto monopolies’, as well as poor distribution of provision and ineffective use of subsidy, he argued.
Opening the debate, Labour MP Bridget Phillipson lamented that the North East received the lowest level of Government funding for transport. She pointed to the struggles of residents who worked for major employers such as EE when it came to getting to and from work on a convenient basis. She compared the region to London, and noted that crucially, in the capital, ‘an accountable transport authority is able to make important decisions on fares and routes and to ensure that the transport needs of passengers and communities are met’. She questioned the high levels of profit made in the region by companies such as Stagecoach, which monies she said should be driven back into the community, and hailed a proposed quality contract scheme in Tyne and Wear. She argued that the proposed voluntary alternative was inadequate. ‘The existing system of deregulated bus services is broken’, she said, comparing it to the energy market.
Government News
10 October 2014 – During his visit to the US, the Foreign Secretary spoke about the need to tackle climate change ‘for the sake of our long-term security’.
13 October 2014 – The UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) have announced a ‘root and branch’ review of how the UK’s Air Navigation Order (ANO) impacts on general aviation (GA). The wide-ranging review will look at how a more proportionate and lighter touch regulation for general aviation can be achieved. The review follows a commitment made by the CAA in response to the Government’s Red Tape Challenge last year – which committed the CAA to reforming the regulatory regime for the UK’s GA sector. The first stage of this major project will see the CAA examine all ANO provisions relating to general aviation – from licensing requirements to operations and airworthiness rules – with a view to deregulating or delegating where possible, in order to simplify compliance for GA pilots and organisations. An amended ANO will also speed up the CAA’s ability to introduce reforms already identified.
The initial review is expected to be completed by March 2015, followed by a public consultation on initial concepts and a second consultation in September 2015 on the CAA’s specific recommendations. Any changes to the ANO will have to be approved by the Department for Transport. DfT officials will be working closely with the CAA throughout the review process. The review will follow the principles already adopted by the CAA in its oversight of general aviation, which include:
- only regulate when necessary, and to do so proportionately;
- deregulate where it can;
- delegate where appropriate;
- not to gold-plate, and quickly and efficiently remove gold-plating that already exists;
- help create a vibrant and dynamic GA sector in the UK.
The CAA has also established an independent GA Challenge Panel, chaired by Julian Scarfe, Vice President of Air Sports Europe, to oversee the ANO review. Launching the review, the CAA’s Head of Intelligence, Strategy and Policy, Padhraic Kelleher, said, the Air Navigation Order has developed over many years, but with the large amount of change that has taken place over recent years, we have to ensure that the ANO is suitable from a GA perspective. I am confident that by the end of the review process we will be well on the way to a simpler, more streamlined and, ultimately more successful, General Aviation sector’.
The CAA’s General Aviation Unit, which was formed earlier this year, has already published a work plan outlining a number of proposed reforms. The CAA and AOPA are also jointly engaged in a project to identify and tackle areas where EU regulations have been ‘gold plated’.
14 October 2014 – Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport and Aviation Minister Robert Goodwill has made a statement to Parliament regarding the Government’s response to recommendation made by the General Aviation Challenge Panel. The full statement is published below.
‘‘I, together with my right honourable friend the member for Welwyn Hatfield, the Minister without Portfolio, wish to inform the House of the publication of the government’s response to the recommendations made by the General Aviation (GA) Challenge Panel in its final report to ministers which was published in May (2014).
We recognise the singular role that the GA sector plays as a driver within the UK’s aviation industry. Many of our pilots and engineers are trained within the GA community, and the vast majority of the aircraft in this country operate within it. Its value has been estimated at some £1.4 billion to our economy, and it possesses the potential to support even more skilled jobs than at present and make an even greater contribution to economic growth.
The Government welcomes the rigour with which the Challenge Panel have worked to produce their report and recommendations. The government has considered the recommendations, has responded to these and made a number of announcements about the work being taken forward within its response. These include:
- establishing a new cross-department Star Chamber chaired by the Minister without Portfolio and including senior representation from all Government departments with influence on GA matters
- commissioning economic research to inform views of where Government policy could go further to support a vibrant GA sector, including a commitment to look again at planning issues relating to airfields in light of the planned economic research
- committing to challenge and support the delivery of the European Aviation Safety Agency’s (EASA) General Aviation Road Map, including consideration of amendments to the EASA Basic Regulation where appropriate
- considering how to make the legislative requirements for GA users crossing the border easier to understand, and undertaking a consultation on pre-notification periods for GA flights to reduce the timescale for advance notification at designated customs ports
- undertaking a joint review of the Air Navigation Order with the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to assess where this has disproportionate impacts on the GA sector
Much of this work will contribute to a government strategy for GA which we plan to publish in the spring of 2015.
General Aviation can and should contribute to the UK’s economic success, whilst providing a safe environment for participants and the public. The Government’s aim is therefore to make the UK the best country in the world for General Aviation. I will place copies of the documents in the libraries of both Houses.’
14 October 2014 – The Government have published their response to the issues raised by the General Aviation Challenge Panel and the recommendations of its final report (May 2014). On the basis of the report the Department for Transport will join forces with the General Aviation (GA) community, the UK Civil Aviation Authority and colleagues across Government to produce a comprehensive GA strategy. We have also made commitments to:
- support the delivery of the European Aviation Safety Agency’s (EASA) General Aviation road map, including consideration of amendments to the EASA basic regulation
- work with EASA and the US Federal Aviation Administration to gain support for the principle of mutual recognition of manufacturing standards
- consider how to simplify legislation for GA users crossing borders
- launch a comprehensive review of the all sections of the Air Navigation Order affecting General Aviation.
A full copy of the report is available here.
15 October 2014 – Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport and Aviation Minister Robert Goodwill has made a statement to Parliament outlining transport issues discussed at the first Transport Council under the Italian Presidency including rail, road, maritime and air items. Among items discussed were: ‘the opening of the market to the civil use of Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems’; ‘Single European Sky II+ Progress Report’, and the European ‘Trans-European Transport Network’. A full transcript of the statement is shown below.
‘I attended the first Transport Council under the Italian Presidency in Luxembourg on Wednesday 8 October (2014). The Council adopted a general approach on the Ports Services Regulation. Following intense negotiations with other member states and the Commission the UK secured an important competitive market exemption clause, ensuring that, where effective competition demonstrably exists, this regulation would not impose additional unnecessary burdens on ports. In the main, ports in the UK fit this criterion.
Despite concerns from some member states that the proposed regulation does not go far enough, particularly with regards to scope and financial transparency, all member states voted in favour of the proposal apart from Lithuania, who voted against, and the UK, who abstained. Looking ahead to their upcoming Presidency Latvia indicated that they would look to sustain momentum on this dossier.
The Council also reached a general approach on the revised directive on the cross-border exchange of information on traffic offences. I fully supported the road safety objectives of the proposal but simultaneously expressed concerns that we had not been given enough time to analyse the detail and reserved the right to examine whether future proposals in this area contained Justice and Home Affairs content. As a result I formally tabled a joint minute statement with Ireland setting out these concerns and abstained.
In the Council’s first discussion on the Fourth Railway Package market pillar, I strongly endorsed proposals to liberalise the domestic rail passenger market. I emphasised that the effects of competition in the UK over the last twenty years had delivered a thriving rail industry. Some member states supported market opening in principle but the Council was clearly divided with many favouring investment over market opening as a more effective means of securing rail’s future. The Commission emphasised that investment alone was not the solution to combating rail’s declining competitiveness and loss of modal share and that the market pillar was an essential complement to the technical pillar to deliver rail’s full potential. The Presidency agreed it was inconceivable to consider the Fourth Railway Package without the market pillar and restated its ambition to reach general approach at the December (2014) Transport Council.
The Council went on to discuss the opening of the market to the civil use of Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS). There was unanimous support to integrate RPAS into European airspace but member states stressed the need for a gradual approach which ensured the primacy of safety and sufficient time for the development of associated technologies. I strongly pressed that any future regulatory proposals should avoid stifling innovation and provide a framework proportionate to the risk. Latvia stated that it was keen to progress political discussions on RPAS during its Presidency and would host an event in Riga in March 2015.
On the Single European Sky II+ Progress Report, the Presidency reported that good progress was being made on this challenging file and invited Ministers to a policy discussion on the Single European Sky in Rome on 6 and 7 November 2014, with a view to reaching general approach at the December Transport Council. The Presidency presented its paper on elections to the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) Council. I urged EU Member States to support the on-going consensus-seeking process among the pan-European 44 states of the European Civil Aviation Conference (ECAC) to decide this matter. The Council took note.
The Netherlands spoke movingly on aviation safety and the follow up to the crash of Malaysian Airlines Flight MH17, and informed Council on the preliminary findings of the investigation by Dutch Safety Board with expert support from the UK, Ukraine, the USA, Malaysia and Netherlands. The interim report concluded that the aircraft had been penetrated from the exterior by a number of high energy objects which led to a loss of structural integrity and the break-up of the aircraft. The investigation was expected to issue its final report by July 2015. A concurrent criminal investigation had been launched. The Netherlands asked member states to contribute to the ongoing ICAO taskforce which aimed to review procedures for civil flights over conflict zones with a view to better exchange of information. The Commission added that its External Action Service would be working with EU Member States to determine a mechanism for information sharing with EU airlines. I expressed our sincere sympathy and solidarity with the Netherlands and stated that we would continue our active engagement in the ICAO taskforce.
In a wide range of Any Other Business, the Presidency summarised the outcome of the Informal Transport Council held in Milan on 16 and 17 September (2014), which had focussed on the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T). The discussions on planning, governance and financing of infrastructure would feed into the mid-term review of the Europe 2020 Strategy. In his last Transport Council, Vice-President Kallas reflected that he was proud of his achievements in re-shaping TEN-T and urged Council to ensure transport secured an appropriate share of President Juncker’s recently announced €300 billion investment programme.
Poland presented an information paper on the situation of road hauliers in the context of the Russian import ban on certain EU products, calling upon member states and the Commission to help mitigate the effects of the Russian import ban on the road haulage sector. Three member states echoed these concerns and called for measures to be taken at an EU level. The Commission expressed sympathy with those member states but underlined the importance of the wider political context and stated that it was not planning to amend legislation at this stage.
Finally, the Commission updated the Council on the recent Galileo satellites incident, indicating that the most likely cause was a mechanical fault and a full report was due by the end of October. The launch planned for December would be postponed until the root cause was established and corrected. This was likely to be within the first half of 2015.’
15 October 2014 – The Government have published the report – Government Response to the Sixth Annual Progress Report of the Committee on Climate Change; Meeting Carbon Budgets – 2014 Progress Report to Parliament. In the report the Government give their assessment of progress made in each sector of the economy and a detailed response to each specific recommendation contained within the Committee’s 6th report. In terms of aviation the Government have reiterated their stance that they will not take a view on any issues related to airports and aviation until after the Airports Commission’s final report – this includes any issues regarding emissions, climate change and carbon budgets. The Government state in the report that ‘Once the Commission publishes its final report; the Government of the day will need to examine the Commission’s findings and take decisions on the recommendations being made. It will carefully consider externalities such as carbon emissions as part of any future decision on new airport capacity’.
House of Lords – Oral Question tabled
Media News
13 October 2014 – An action group has been formed to campaign against flight path changes at Gatwick Airport that have people across the county. Flight paths were recently changed, affecting people to the south and east of Dorking, who were previously unaffected by aircraft noise. The group ‘Plane Wrong’, which has been established by people in Beare Green, Betchworth, Blackbrook, Brockham, Capel, Coldharbour, the Holmwoods, Leigh, Leith Hill, Redhill and Reigate, argues that there have been insufficient trials and consultations about the changes.
15 October 2014 – Business and community leaders in Stoke-on-Trent are calling on the Government to choose the city for a station on the proposed High Speed 2 (HS2) Rail line. The city said the ‘Stoke Route’ will be faster, greener and cheaper than any other option for the £50 billion project, while claiming it will save the taxpayer £2 billion. The current HS2 plans would see the western leg between Birmingham and Manchester routed via Crewe – with no stop proposed in Staffordshire. HS2 Chairman David Higgins is due to make his recommendations about the project including proposed routes on 27 October.
SASIG Regional&IndustryNews Bulletin 13 October – 19 October
SASIG ParliamentaryNews Bulletin 13 October – 19 October
The Parliamentary information in this Bulletin is sourced from De Havilland Information Services plc .