Contents
SASIG 2014/15 Meeting Date
Regional News
Industry News
European News
Parliamentary News
Government News
House of Commons Questions
House of Commons Statement
House of Lords Question
Media News
SASIG 2014/15 Meeting Date
6 March 2015
Meetings are held at Local Government House, Smith Square, SW1P 3HZ, location map.
Regional News
8 December 2014 – The American Company RiverOak Investments’ who have expressed interested in buying Manston Airport has said it is disappointed a compulsory purchase order of the site could be dropped. Chief Executive of RiverOak Stephen DeNardo, said, ‘we do not think that it was a fair analysis of the information that we presented them’. Thanet District Council said it was dismayed ‘to see such an inflammatory and inaccurate response’.
9 December 2014 – The 2M Group of local authorities has said that expansion at Heathrow Airport would be difficult after the UK’s Supreme Court was given responsibility to enforce European pollution law. Nitrogen Dioxide levels at Heathrow Airport and other high air pollution areas across Greater London are currently in breach of the EU Air Quality Directive – Heathrow Airport Limited say that road traffic from the M4 is primarily responsible.
9 December 2014 – Gatwick Airport Limited have made a statement following a meeting with the Member of Parliament for Reigate Mr Crispin Blunt. The statement says, ‘Crispin Blunt met with Stewart Wingate the Chief Executive of Gatwick Airport Limited on Thursday 4th December 2014 in Westminster to discuss issues in relation to both the second runway proposal and the question of precision navigation and its implementation particularly in respect of the route that now overflies Reigate and Redhill. Mr Wingate was accompanied by Alastair McDermid and Charles Kirwan-Taylor’.
9 December 2014 – The sponsor of the Airports Commission short-listed option for long-term capacity ‘Heathrow Hub’ are to present their plans at a series of public meetings in January 2015 . The meetings are planned in Harmondsworth, Ealing, Datchet, Staines, Iver, Windsor, Colnbrook and Cranford.
12 December 2014 – Blackpool Airport has been given the go ahead by the UK Civil Aviation Authority to resume reduced services as a Category 3 airport. This means the airport can resume limited commercial flights with air traffic control and emergency fire cover.
13 December 2014 – A number of councils around Stansted Airport have given their views on the airport’s Sustainable Development Plan.
Industry News
8 December 2014 – The aircraft manufacturer Airbus is claiming an industry record by meeting an order backlog of more than 6,000 aircraft for the first time. The number emerged as the European manufacturer revealed its orders for November.
9 December 2014 – The airport owner Manchester Airports Group produced pre-tax profit of £182.9m on turnover of £421.4m in the six months to the end of September. The group will pay a £31m dividend to shareholders, further to a £46m dividend paid in July 2014 for the full year ended 31 March 2014. The group is owned by Manchester City Council (35.5 per cent stake); IFM Investors (35.5 per cent) and the nine Greater Manchester Councils of Bolton, Bury, Oldham, Rochdale, Salford, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford and Wigan (29 per cent). The interim pre-tax profit was a rise of 8.7 per cent on the same period in 2013. Revenue was also up 8 per cent.
8 December 2014 – The airline operator Etihad Airways has postponed its second and third daily A380 services to Heathrow Airport. The Gulf carrier will start flying the aircraft between Abu Dhabi and LHR on December 27. A second and third service were previously scheduled to commence on April 1 and May 1 respectively.
9 December 2014 – The airline operator Cathay Pacific Airways will make its inaugural flight from Manchester Airport to Hong Kong on 9 December, launching the four-times-weekly non-stop service. The departure of the flight will see Manchester become the only UK airport outside of London to offer a non-stop direct route to China. Cathay Pacific serves more than 180 destinations globally via Hong Kong International Airport, including 22 destinations within mainland China.
9 December 2014 – The airline operator Flybe has launched two new routes to Milan Malpensa and Bastia in Corsica. The two routes are part of its new 2015 summer schedule.
10 December 2014 – The airline operator easyJet will operate new routes from Newcastle Airport to Split, Corfu and Rhodes from June 2015.EasyJet have also announced three news routes from Bristol Airport. Starting in April and May next year – the airline will fly to Bilbao, Isle of Man and Zante.
10 December 2014 – The airline operator Flybe is expanding its flights out of Birmingham with the addition of two new services to Bastia and Biarritz.
10 December 2014 – Heathrow Airport Limited have issued a statement saying that half of the busiest 50 airlines at the airport are missing landing noise targets. Heathrow’s Chief Executive John Holland-Kaye said he has written to the carriers to warn them about their status. Landing noise test scores were revealed by the airport in a ‘Fly Quiet’ table after monitoring between July and September this year.
European News
8 December 2014 – The European Union’s (EU) TEN-T Programme will invest over €600k studies on a new rail connection between Wrocław Airport in Poland and the city centre of Wrocław. This new line is expected to trigger increased air traffic and promote more environmentally friendly passenger and freight transport to and from the airport. Other benefits include increasing the accessibility of Lower Silesia and improving its traffic capacity to enhance the region’s economic growth. The study will come up with the environmental documentation, construction and execution designs, as well as legal, financial and quality procedures preparing the rail line’s construction. The project is to be completed by December 2015.
11 December 2014 – The European Union’s TEN-T Programme will co-finance with nearly €2 million a study on the new generation of communications infrastructure for the European air traffic management. The project is to analyse the future requirements and performance of European service providers and to come up with recommendations on the best and most cost-efficient business model.
Parliamentary News
9 December 2014 – Aviation Minister Robert Goodwill attended the EU Transport Council on Wednesday 3 December. Mr Goodwill summarised the outcomes of the meeting to Parliament where the inclusion of Gibraltar in EU aviation legislation was discussed along with TEN-T, Single European Sky ‘recast’ and European Standards of Training. A full transcript of the summary is given below.
‘I attended the second Transport Council under the Italian Presidency (the Presidency) in Brussels on Wednesday 3 December 2014.
The first item under consideration was on TEN-T, where the Presidency opened proceedings by outlining the link between the council conclusions and both the mid-term review of the Europe 2020 package and the launch of the Juncker investment package. Former Commissioner Christopherson gave an overview of his interim report which he thought could provide transport projects for support from the Juncker package which is seeking to leverage investment from the private sector. Member states expressed their support for the council conclusions which were adopted. Commissioner Bulc welcomed the conclusions and asked for transport to be the subject of the Spring European Council next year and to be at the heart of the Europe2020 strategy.
However the council’s proceedings were dominated by discussions on the proposed general approaches on the 2 legislative proposals under Single European Sky (SES) II+. The general approach on the SES related amendments to the EASA Regulation was agreed without comment and the related commission declaration on the applicability of the EASA Regulation to Gibraltar Airport was accepted.
On the SES recast, I supported the Presidency’s ambition of reaching a general approach on the condition that it respected in full the EU treaties and included Gibraltar Airport within scope. Spain sought the exclusion of Gibraltar Airport. In an astonishing move, the Presidency proposed (i) to put in square brackets the current text in Article 1, paragraph 5 which notes that the application of the regulation is without prejudice to the respective legal positions of the UK and Spain with regard to the dispute over sovereignty over the territory in which the airport is situated and (ii) to add a footnote stating that “the question on how to reflect the Gibraltar issue in the text is awaiting the outcome of discussions between Spain and UK”. I objected in the strongest possible terms, emphasising that Gibraltar was included in the current SES framework, that any exclusion of Gibraltar was unjustifiable under the treaties and that I could not accept any proposal that did not make clear that Gibraltar was within scope.
At my request, the council legal service opined that the council’s agreement on the aviation content amounted to a general approach, but the consequence of the part not agreed by all member states, that is the part concerning Gibraltar, resulted in the general approach being partial.
Over-riding my protest and the opinion of the council legal service, the commission welcomed the Presidency’s proposal, and the Presidency concluded that a general approach had been reached. I left the council in protest at what was a completely unacceptable situation. The government is clear that EU aviation legislation applies to Gibraltar as is clearly set out in the EU Treaties. We will continue to defend the inclusion of Gibraltar in EU aviation legislation. We reserve our position on the lawfulness of any other outcome and on our response, including the possibility of pursuing legal proceedings.
Following the council, the Foreign Secretary spoke to his Italian counterpart last week to express our view that the dossier could not proceed to the next stage – discussions with the European Parliament – until the question of application to Gibraltar had been resolved. I am pleased to report that the Italian Foreign Minister gave his assurance that the Italian presidency would not seek to do this.
Although I was not present for the remainder of the council, the UK Deputy Permanent Representative to the EU continued to occupy the UK seat. I can report that the following discussions also took place.
On Standards of Training, Certification and Watch-keeping for Fishing Vessel Personnel (STCWF), the commission restated its position with regards to the reservation considering that this was the only legally sound approach. One member state intervened to support the council decision but indicated that they would make a declaration in respect of the legal base. The Presidency’s progress report on the Fourth Railway Package was broadly welcomed by member states but led to an echoing of comments made by member states in October. Several member states made clear that for them the technical pillar remained the priority. The Presidency and commission were clear that the technical pillar on its own was not enough and that the package should stay together. Many member states remained sceptical about mandatory competitive tendering and called for more flexibility on direct award provisions. Latvia stated the Fourth Railway Package would be a priority for their forthcoming Presidency. The commission took on board member state comments and looked forward to progressing work under the Latvian Presidency. In addition, a general approach was reached on the repeal of Regulation 1192/69 on common rules for the normalisation of the accounts of railway undertakings, a welcome simplification measure.
Under any other business, the Presidency informed council about the EASA event on Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS) that recently took place in Rome which the Presidency hoped would serve as a useful basis to continue discussions under the Latvian Presidency. Commissioner Bienkowska updated council on Galileo and EGNOS. She made very clear she was committed to ensuring the success of the space sector, that transport was a key user underpinning the success of EGNOS and Galileo and looked to member states to continue their support.
Lithuania drew council’s attention to their recent experience of detailed inspections of Lithuanian registered vehicles at the Russian border and the negative impact this was having on the Lithuanian haulage sector. They called on the commission and other member states to agree a common solution to help resolve the situation. The commission took note although recognised the limited ability for action in the wider political context.
Finally, Latvia set out the priorities for their Presidency. The Fourth Railway Package would be one of their main priorities. On road, Latvia recognised the importance of weights and dimensions and cross-border enforcement files and indicated that the review of the commission’s road safety strategy would be the subject of a policy debate. Latvia was explicitly clear that they would only continue work on SES II+ and airport slots if there was a consensus among member states. They also did not rule out the possibility of continuing work on Air Passenger Rights. Finally, the incoming Presidency would focus on technical requirements for inland waterways and would progress negotiations on the Ports Services Regulation subject to progress made in the European Parliament. Latvia would hold 3 high-level events in Riga on EU and Asia transport links, RPAS and TEN-T corridors’.
11 December 2014 – The Committee on Climate Change (CCC) has published its latest report, ’Energy prices and bills – impacts of meeting carbon budgets’. The report considers the impact of meeting carbon budgets on household, commercial and industrial sector energy bills, and concludes that opportunities to improve energy efficiency could offset all of the impact on household bills to 2030 and at least part of the impact on commercial and industrial firms.
Government News
5 December 2014 – The Government have published a feasibility study considering options for improving access to Leeds Bradford International Airport. The feasibility study was undertaken by the consultancy firms WSP and Parsons Brinckerhoff, with local input provided by a stakeholder reference group. The ‘Option assessment report’ describes the process of selecting and assessing options for improving access to Leeds Bradford International Airport. It concludes with the consultants’ recommendation on which options should be subject to further consideration in both the short to medium term and the longer term. The ‘Appraisal specification report’ considers what further work would be required to take forward the recommended options. This study began on 1 April 2014 and concluded in November 2014. The Government responded to this study in the 2014 Autumn Statement. This study is one of six ‘notorious and longstanding road hot spot’ studies being undertaken, as identified in the governments strategic document “Investing in Britain’s Future” (2013).
The objective of the study is to identify and appraise potential improvements that would substantially improve the connectivity of LBIA to its catchment area. The study will take account of the aspiration of the airport to grow and the surface access improvements that would be required to facilitate and serve this growth, including both road and public transport options. It will draw on the knowledge and expertise of local stakeholders, all previous work and proposals, and include a full examination of all pre-existing assumptions and conclusions. The Department for Transport’s project brief specified that this study should consider improved access by road, rail and bus. The project brief has also been published here. This project brief outlines the:
- scope of the requirement.
- study methodology.
- arrangements for stakeholder involvement.
The brief specifies that the study should consider improved access by road, rail and bus.
9 December 2014 – Rail Minister Claire Perry visited London Euston to officially mark the introduction of 10 new 4-car trains for the London Midland network, as part of its new timetable. The new trains will provide 139,000 additional seats for London Midland’s passengers every week, as well as:
- faster services between Northampton, Milton Keynes and London.
- more direct trains between Birmingham, Coventry, Rugby, and London.
- more fast trains between Crewe and London.
- more frequent services between Redditch and Birmingham.
The new trains will provide an extra 139,000 seats every week, including 64,000 more seats in and out of London Euston, and 75,000 extra seats in and out of Birmingham New Street. The services are possible with £62 million of Government investment.
9 December 2014 – The Airports Commission are holding a ‘Public drop in session’ for advice on responding to the Commission’s consultation on proposals for additional airport capacity at Gatwick Airport on the 16 December 2014. Members of the team supporting the Commission will be available to provide advice on responding to its consultation on proposals for additional airport capacity in the Longley Suite, Arora Hotel, Crawley from 18:00 to 20:00. Tickets are not required to attend this event.
11 December 2014 – The Government have published the report ‘Transport Statistics Great Britain: 2014’, showing statistical trends in the British transport sector for the year 2014. The Transport Statistics Great Britain report provides statistics for 2014 on:
- the use people make of different modes of transport;
- aviation activity at UK and international airports and of airlines;
- transport energy consumption and greenhouse gas and air pollutant emissions;
- road and rail freight;
- port freight and sea passenger traffic at UK sea ports;
- use of public transport;
- road traffic volumes and congestion;
- road and rail accidents and casualties;
- licensed vehicles and MOT and driving test rates;
- people using walking and cycling as a method of transport; and
- the use of transport by people with mobility difficulties.
14 December 2014 – The Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change Ed Davey has published the Government’s response to the new agreement reached by United Nations (UN) members to tackle climate change. Delegates at the UN have approved a framework for setting national pledges to be submitted to a summit next year. Differences over the draft text caused the two-week talks in Lima, Peru, to overrun by two days. Environmental groups said the agreement represents ‘an ineffectual compromise’, but the European Union has said it was a step towards achieving a global climate deal next year in Paris. The talks proved difficult because of divisions between countries over how to spread the burden of pledges to cut carbon emissions.
House of Commons Questions
Hanson, D – Closure of security gates at Heathrow Airport
5 December 2014
David Hanson (Labour, Delyn): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, on how many occasions since 1 July 2014 border gates at Heathrow Terminals 1 to 5, other than e gates, have been closed to EU passport holders.
James Brokenshire (Minister for Security and Immigration, Old Bexley & Sidcup, Conservative): Border Force Heathrow does not record desk occupancy as they operate a flexible approach in resourcing the immigration control. Fixed resources are deployed at each terminal between the non-EEA control and the EEA/EU control and, if required, flexible teams from across the estate are deployed to support the fixed terminal staff in times of increased passenger flow. This is done in advance by Border Force’s central resourcing team, matching resource levels to expected demand and on the day through proactive management by duty managers with the aim of operating within agreed service level agreements with the airport authority (95% of the time within 25 minutes for EEA/EU and 95% of the time within 45 minutes for non-EEA/EU). Since 1 July 2014 Border Force has consistently been meeting these service standards for the EEA control at each of the Heathrow terminals.
Jackson, S – Potential for further cuts to Air Passenger Duty
9 December 2014
Stewart Jackson (Peterborough, Conservative): My constituents in Peterborough who work at Thomas Cook and many families with young children will have been delighted by the announcement on children’s air passenger duty in last week’s autumn statement. Will the Exchequer Secretary give an undertaking that she will continue to monitor the impact of air passenger duty on tourism and the family budget and not rule out further cuts in the near future?
Priti Patel (Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury, Witham, Conservative): I thank my hon. Friend for his question. The reductions in air passenger duty announced last week are to be welcomed not just by his constituents and by Thomas Cook but by hard-working families across the country. As with all other taxes, air passenger duty will be kept under review, taking into account our commitment to creating sustainable public finances alongside helping households and, of course, the tourism industry.
Lady Hermon – Student exemption from Air Passenger Duty
10 December 2014
Lady Hermon (Ulster Unionist Party, North Down): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make it his policy to exempt students flying on domestic flights within the UK from air passenger duty; and if he will make a statement.
Priti Patel: Budget 2014 announced a freeze in the rate of Air Passenger Duty for short-haul international and domestic flights for a fourth year running. In addition Budget 2014 reforms Air Passenger Duty with the abolition of bands C and D from 1 April 2015. This cuts tax for passengers travelling to destinations such as Brazil, India, China, South Asia and the Caribbean. Autumn Statement 2014 also announced an Air Passenger Duty exemption for children under 12 on economy tickets, with effect from 1 May 2015. This will be extended to include children under 16, so that from 1 March 2016 all students of compulsory school age will be exempt from Air Passenger Duty. The Chancellor keeps all taxes including Air Passenger Duty under review.
House of Commons Statement
Kane, M – Development of regional economy in the North of England
11 December 2014
Mike Kane (Wythenshawe and Sale East, Labour): On Monday, I attended the launch of the first direct flight from Manchester airport to China. I am sure the Leader of the House will join me in congratulating all those involved in securing that, including Cathay Pacific. With the Davies commission due to report in a few months, and with Treasury civil servants scurrying around working out the staggering public subsidy that will be required if a third runway at Heathrow is the decision, will the Leader of the House, as a fellow northern MP, bring the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills and the Secretary of State for Transport to the House to explain to them that, pound for pound, it would be a better use of public money to spend it between the Mersey and the Humber estuary than on the public subsidy for Heathrow, which will make the northern powerhouse look like a drop in the ocean?
William Hague (Leader of the House, Richmond (Yorks), Conservative): I join the hon. Gentleman in congratulating everyone involved in ensuring that there is a direct service from Manchester to China. I hope it will be an extremely well used and successful route. We need airports in the north of England to be more successful, building on the success of Manchester, for the northern powerhouse concept to be successful. As he will know, the Government have announced a great deal of transport infrastructure investment in the north. I would differ from him on only one point: it is my belief that if regional airports are to be successful, it is important that there is additional airport capacity in the south-east of England, because without that, the regional airports lose their landing slots in key UK hubs. For the north to succeed, therefore, we also need the airports of the south-east to succeed. We need both.
House of Lords Question
Lord Harrison – Air Travel Organisers’ Licence scheme reform
8 December 2014
Lord Harrison (Labour Peer): To ask Her Majesty’s Government when they will take a decision on including airlines within the ATOL scheme for Flight-Plus transactions in line with powers contained in the Civil Aviation Act 2012. And, to ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they are considering phasing Flight-Plus out of the ATOL scheme in the context of ATOL reform and the new European Union Package Travel Directive.
Baroness Kramer, Minister of State, Department for Transport (Liberal Democrat Peer): The European Commission’s proposal for a new Package Travel Directive expands the scope of the definitions to potentially include a range of holidays currently covered as flight-plus arrangements under the Air Travel Organisers’ Licensing (ATOL) scheme, and some holidays sold by airlines. On 18 March 2013, the European Commission published a Communication on Passenger Protection in the Event of Airline Insolvency. The Commission committed to closely monitor the application of a range of measures, and after two years, review their performance and effectiveness and assess whether a legislative initiative is needed to guarantee the protection of passengers in the case of airline insolvency. We anticipate that the Commission’s review will commence next year. We will carefully consider the outcome of these matters as part of our review of ATOL reform.
Media News
12 December 2014 – A number of flights across London and the south of England were cancelled and many others delayed, following a computer failure at a national air traffic control centre on Friday 12 December. Eurocontrol, the European Organisation for the Safety of Air Navigation, said the ‘computer failure’ had occurred at the NATS UK air traffic control centre in Swanwick, Hampshire, and for a time no flights were able to take off or land at some UK airports.
SASIG RegionalIndustryNewsBulletin 8 December – 14 December
SASIG ParliamentaryNews Bulletin 8 December – 14 December
The Parliamentary information in this Bulletin is sourced from De Havilland Information Services plc .