Friday, June 24, 2011 10:52 AM
CAMPAIGN UPDATE FROM SSE
Technology is key to ‘the carbon challenge’ – Philip Hammond
The government remains committed to the growth of aviation and is looking to technology to provide the answer to the “carbon challenge”. Speaking at the Aviation Club, transport secretary Philip Hammond said the scrapping of the third runway at Heathrow was not “loaded with hostile symbolism” and the Government was not “anti-aviation”. Industry and the government “must work together to define a growth strategy for aviation that will support UK economic growth but which will also support the delivery of our decarbonisation commitments,” he said. “I am convinced that there is a solution to these challenges – providing the headroom for growth as first, trading, and then technology, provides the answer to the carbon challenge,” he said.
Flights continue downward trend
Stansted saw a rise of 0.7% in passenger numbers in May compared with the same month last year but the number of flights continued the downward trend. BAA admitted that on a year to date basis the underlying decline in passenger numbers at Stansted was 4%, reflecting the transfer of capacity by low-cost airlines to continental Europe. The royal wedding and Easter helped to boost passenger numbers by 9.2% across BAA’s six airports compared with May last year, although that month flights were hit by the Icelandic ash cloud and industrial action.
Ryanair to cut 80 jets this winter
Ryanair will again temporarily ground 80 aircraft – more than a quarter of its fleet – between November 2011 and April 2012, double last winter’s figure. The move, which will leave it with a modest 4% growth in capacity in its financial year to March 2012, reflects Ryanair’s concerns about the economic outlook and high fuel prices, reports the Financial Times. The airline will take delivery of 25 new aircraft over the coming months, bringing its total fleet to 292, but will not put them into service until the next summer schedule. Michael O’Leary, chief executive, said the measure was necessary to “protect” the carrier’s profitability.
Easyjet to fly from Southend
Easyjet has announced it will fly from Southend Airport. The airline, which operates from both Stansted and Luton, will fly from Southend to ten European destinations and is expecting to carry almost a million passengers through the airport next year, mostly at the expense of Stansted.
Cheap flights are coming to an end, says aviation body
Europe suffered the biggest share of the decline in worldwide air travel between November and March as passengers rejected fares that soared because of oil price rises and higher taxes. Figures from the International Air Transport Association (Iata) heralded the end of cheap holiday airfares, according to The Independent. Iata said UK airlines would have to make up for another 8 per cent of cost increases this year because of higher fuel costs and passenger duty. Brian Pearce, Iata's chief economist, said that falling economy class sales were "a worrying trend". Last month, Ryanair said its fares would increase 12 per cent this year to cover an expected rise in its fuel bill. Iata cut its forecast for global airline profit by more than half to $4bn (£2.4bn). Overall, growth in European traffic is expected to be the lowest worldwide at 3.9 per cent this year.
Air Passenger Duty should be simpler and fairer says SSE
SSE has provided HM Treasury with detailed proposals for simplifying air passenger duty (APD) and making it fairer, including an end to the present APD exemption for aircraft with fewer than 20 passenger seats whereby those who travel in private jets and business jets pay no APD at all. SSE says the exemption should be replaced with a minimum APD levy of £480 on all flights. Also, the present four band, distance related, system of APD is far too complex and full of anomalies says SSE and should be replaced with a single band system. Read SSE’s full response.
Airports could handle 28m more passengers without expanding
European airports could handle 28 million more passengers without expanding, according to a report ordered by the European Commission. Better co-ordination of takeoff and landing slots is key to tackling congestion, it says. Demand already exceeded capacity most or all of the day at six European airports – Heathrow, Gatwick, Paris Orly, Milan Linate, Düsseldorf and Frankfurt. Some major European airports were planning to expand and may be able to cope with increases but others, including Heathrow, were not and faced worsening ‘capacity constraints’. There are currently 26,000 flights using Europe's airspace every day, with estimated growth of 5% a year. EU transport commissioner, Siim Kallas, said he intended to propose legislation this year to tackle the capacity issue. Stansted, currently operating at around 18m passengers a year, has permission to carry 35m passengers annually.
Indecision could herald Thames Estuary airport - Adonis
A new political consensus is needed if Britain is to avoid a potentially catastrophic lack of policy on airport capacity in the South East, said former Labour transport minister, Lord Adonis, speaking at a transport conference. He also said that transport ministers needed to be longer in the job – he served for just 11 months. Lack of a decision on increasing capacity was not sustainable. He said that if there continued to be no political will to reconsider extra capacity at Heathrow or Gatwick airports, the prospect of a new Thames Estuary airport, favoured by London Mayor Boris Johnson, would become more likely.
Greener skies over Europe could upset the Chinese
The European Union’s climate commissioner, Connie Hedegaard, is determined that if she cannot persuade international aviation to conform to the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS), the EU should go it alone, says the Financial Times. Airlines have put in abeyance their former argument that the policy violates the Chicago convention on international aviation. The European Court of Justice could alter the law. Meanwhile, the EU is right to press ahead, argues the FT. It points out that airlines and Airbus, the aircraft manufacturer, now use the argument that China or other powers could retaliate against them if Brussels does not change course and leave airlines out of the ETS. It is a mystery why China or others would see it in their interest to retaliate against a policy that treats EU and non-EU carriers exactly the same, comments the FT. A bigger issue is China’s resistance to being forced to follow international rules – it wants its aviation emissions policy to count as ‘equivalent’ to Europe’s, which would exempt Chinese carriers. SSE advisers note that while China is supposedly planning 70 new airports, it has the world’s longest high speed rail network, daily usage is rising and indications are that where high speed train routes under 600km are available, air routes are being cut.
Thaxted will be highlight of Runway Ramble
A visit to historic Thaxted, so beloved by the late Sir John Betjeman, will be the highlight of the annual Runway Ramble being held by SSE on Saturday 25 June between 10.30am and 2.30pm. The five-mile circular walk, created by footpaths expert Stuart Walker, starts from Duton Hill and will take walkers across the rolling fields of north west Essex along part of the Harcamlow Way to the Thaxted Windmill and Church and the ancient Guildhall. There is no charge to take part in the walk whose purpose is to remind people of the need for long-term security against the expansion threat. Thaxted is already very badly overflown by aircraft heading for Stansted. Hikers will set off at 10.30am though the start time is flexible for those who want to begin later (until 2.30pm). Route maps and descriptions are available on the day and online. Refreshments will be served in the grounds of the Three Horseshoes pub in Duton Hill. Parking is available. The event is free (small charge for refreshments) but those who want to seek sponsorship or make donations at the event are welcome to do so.
Thousands of books on sale for SSE
A new stock of thousands of second hand books go on sale in aid of Stop Stansted Expansion (SSE) at The Old School House, Four Ashes Crossroads, Takeley, on Saturday 2 July between 9am and 1pm . At just 50p for paperbacks and £1 for hardbacks, the sale offers tremendous value for works of fiction and non-fiction alike – whether for summer holiday reading or ongoing reference. Further book donations and unwanted bookcases gratefully received. More information on both the above events is available from SSE on 01279 870558, or on Coming Events.
SSE’s ‘sustained campaign’ recognised
Stop Stansted Expansion was a finalist in the Chartered Institute of Public Relations’ Excellence Awards 2011. Commenting on its successful fight against a second runway at Stansted Aiport, the judges said this was “an impressive demonstration of the difference a long-term, sustained and integrated public affairs campaign can make”. SSE previously won a Parliamentary Awards from the All Party Parliamentary Group for Sustainable Aviation for ‘Best Community Campaign’ and was praised in the House of Lords for the quality of its briefings during the passage of the Civil Aviation Bill.
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