Davies Commission Final Report

[BHXsupporter]

Well surprise, surprise. The worst kept secret has been revealed publically that Heathrow will have a northern, Frankfurt-like runway (although Frankfurt's is for landings only). And guess what: Gatwick could have a 2nd runway in future! Plus ca change, ... :crazy:

I can't access the whloe report at present after a quick search this morning but I wonder what will be said about BHX.

 

[nwoody2001]

Heathrow Decision - Birmingham Airport reaction

BREAKING NEWS: Heathrow Decision - Birmingham Airport reaction

1st July 2015
THE integrity of Birmingham Airport has to be maintained in the wake of the Airports Commission’s decision to recommend a third runway at Heathrow, Birmingham business chiefs have said.

Paul Kehoe, chief executive of Birmingham Airport, said it was important that the race to expand capacity in the South East should not be at the expense of airports such as Birmingham, which were viable regional hubs.

In the run-up to the Airports Commission report, Birmingham Airport has continued to argue for a strategic network of long-haul airports throughout the UK, each supporting the comparative economic advantage of that region.

However, the Airports Commission has made an individual recommendation to Government for the Heathrow Northwest Runway scheme to be taken forward.

But the ultimate decision will rest with the Government and it is known there are longstanding concerns within the higher echelons of the Conservative Party to such a move.

Responding to the Commission’s recommendations, Kehoe said: “Over the past three years the Airports Commission has explored numerous options for resolving the South-East congestion, and we are incredibly grateful to all those in the region who have supported our case for a network of airports.

“Given the significant levels of growth we have seen at Birmingham Airport within this period, especially in long-haul routes, we urge the Government to move ahead with caution so as not to damage the ability of regional airports to grow.

“The Midlands is a powerful engine of growth at the heart of our country and needs direct aviation to succeed. With our £200m investment in the airport, including our runway extension allowing for this summer’s extended series of direct flights to Beijing, we are doing all we can to support the region’s businesses and leisure passengers.

“Whilst the Government continues to review all the evidence before it, Birmingham Airport looks forward to continuing the expansion of our long-haul offering in support of the region’s economy.”

Paul Faulkner, new CEO of Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce, has also responded to the decision by the Commission.

He agreed that the Government had to move forward in a way that protected the viability of airports such as Birmingham.

“Businesses tell us they want to be able to fly directly to their markets and not have to go through West London. We know the Government needs to deal with congestion in the South East, but we urge Ministers to move ahead in a way that does not restrict Birmingham’s own room to grow,” he said.

http://www.thebusinessdesk.com/westmidl ... ction.html

 

[TheLocalYokel]

This topic has been touched on in a number of threads on Forums4Airports in recent years. Now that the report has been published I thought it would be useful to bring any comments that people might have on it into one place.

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/s ... report.pdf

The report is extremely lengthy and I have to admit i've only scan read it at the moment. I've highlighted the main conclusions as:

1. A new runway in the Southeast will be needed by 2030 and the recommended choice is Heathrow, Northwest runway

2. Further development of the UK's aviation offering beyond 2040 will depend on the international approach to climate change

3. The Gatwick proposal is plausible but is unlikely to provide the type of capacity urgently needed which is long haul destinations to new markets

4. There is no credible case for a fourth runway at Heathrow - for new capacity (beyond the third runway) options such as Gatwick, Stansted and airports outside the Southeast such as Manchester and Birmingham should be considered

This will be a huge problem for the Prime Minister. A significant number of his own MPs is against the Heathrow expansion with at least one threatening to resign and create a by election if it goes through.

 

[Ray Finkle]

Re: Heathrow Decision - Birmingham Airport reaction

No surprise really.

I've not read the whole thing and I don't think I intend to but BHX did get a mention when he said there would be no 4th runway at LHR. When RWY3 is at capacity it would then be up to the likes of STN, BHX, MAN and LGW to take up the slack. Why can't STN, BHX, MAN and LGW take up the slack now and when they're all full then build a new runway at LHR?

This little snippet shows how removed from reality they really are:

"Other UK airports are increasingly squeezed out of Heathrow, with passengers from the nations and regions obliged to transfer through other European airports, or Middle Eastern hubs."

Has nobody thought that maybe these people WANT to travel through hubs from their local airport and wish to AVOID London????

When I travel to Australia I have the option of using LHR. It isn't all that far away and offers me more choice often at a cheaper price yet I CHOOSE to travel via DXB from my local airport! The growth of Emirates (and others) in regional UK has allowed hundreds of thousands of people just like me to avoid London, not because we have to but because we WANT TO!!!!!!!

I see Dave's decided to wait another six months before making the decision.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

Not much interest in the report judging by the number of views.

The MPs I've heard spouting on the subject today are taking a parochial attitude rather than concentrating on what Davies believes is for the greater good of the country.

We have some high profile Conservatives with constituencies impinging on LHR saying in effect, "not over my dead body", whilst a Conservative MP who represents a constituency close to LGW said very much the same about a new runway there and, unsurprisingly, was very much in favour of the LHR option.

This MP (I forget his name) reckons that if the PM opts for LGW there will be a significant number of Conservative MPs from that area as vehemently opposed to that as some of their colleagues are to expanding LHR.

The ultimate decision will be a political one with the PM entirely cognisant of his wafer thin majority in Westminster and the last thing he wants is internecine warfare within his own party.

 

[Jon Dempsey]

Re: Heathrow Decision - Birmingham Airport reaction

I'm not going to get into an anti-London rant as there is plenty of that going occurring on PPrune.

What I did find interesting was a meeting at Manchester to which Davies wad invited (as I guest of Charlie Cornish I guess). He said that the remit of the committee was to "investigate ways of maintaining the UK's role as an aviation hub".

That seems loaded to me as by default he would revert to the largest hub and not actually do anything creative which the likes of PK and team have.

It seems obvious to me that Heathrow would be favourite to gain favour with the committee, but if the likes of Manchester and Birmingham continue with their forward thinking, R3 may be redundant before it's complete.

 

[Ray Finkle]

Re: Heathrow Decision - Birmingham Airport reaction

It seems obvious to me that Heathrow would be favourite to gain favour with the committee, but if the likes of Manchester and Birmingham continue with their forward thinking, R3 may be redundant before it's complete.

:good:

We've got around ten years or so at least (most likely longer) so hopefully BHX, MAN and maybe one or two others can continue expanding their route networks (particularly long haul) and make ignoring them not an option.

Many pax have now become used to flying from their local airport via the various hubs offered and actually prefer it. After seeing the article on the news this evening Mrs Finkle (who cares very little about this sort of thing) commented that "there's no way we'd ever trek down to London to fly when we live next to an airport". That chap from MAN made a comment recently along the lines of "people in the region now don't think of anywhere else but MAN when flying long haul".

I wonder if this type of thinking was taken into consideration.

 

[Aviador]

I would say you could have asked anybody five, even ten years ago what the outcome of this report would show and the majority of people would come to the same conclusion as the report. There is huge scope for expansion from other airports such as Birmingham and Manchester airports for intercontinental flights however, Heathrow airport is in the Capital, the largest city in the UK. The decision is the right one, whether it will come to fruition with all the political in fighting that continues to go on, your guess is as good as mine.

 

[Ray Finkle]

Re: Heathrow Decision - Birmingham Airport reaction

I have to agree with what Mr Faulkner says:

Birmingham's business leaders left 'disappointed' by Heathrow extension decision

Paul Faulkner, incoming chief executive of the Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce, added: "We are disappointed that Davies has missed the opportunity to encourage a network of regional airports.

"Concentrating everything at Heathrow now embeds an unwelcome monopoly for Heathrow and the airlines. The cost to fly will now only increase.

"The report creates a big inconsistency in the Government's strategy to rebalance the economy away from London. HS2 is consistent with this vital ambition. Davies, by putting all the aviation eggs in one basket, is not.

"It will not help job creation outside of the South East and this is one of the major flaws in the report.

"There is also the argument that many business people in the Midlands want local, direct flights for both passengers and freight and not to be forced to use London airports."

He added: "However, we can regard Sir Howard's recommendations as an opportunity for Birmingham Airport to take advantage while Heathrow continues to be at full capacity.

"At best, it is predicted a third runway at Heathrow would not be operational for at least ten to 15 years and, in the meantime, airlines will continue to look for airports in the UK like Birmingham which has huge potential for more capacity."

http://www.birminghampost.co.uk/busines ... um=twitter

 

[jfy1999]

Re: Heathrow Decision - Birmingham Airport reaction

Good point from Mr Faulkner that the third runway won't be here yet, and as BHX can surely just keep growing in that time we won't be hurt so much by it.
I'm surprised that Davies didn't recommend LGW as well. Surely it must be nearly full up too.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

Leaving aside political considerations it does seem that most major world airlines and the majority of travellers from around the globe (business travellers anyway) want to go to London and use LHR. It's partly chicken and egg in that so much industry and commerce has grown in the immediate area served by LHR because of the airport's presence and partly because, and I can never really grasp this, LHR seems to enjoy a certain cachet in the minds of airlines and travellers that other airports serving London don't.

Robert Sinclair at BRS is the latest regional airport CEO to push the claims of regional airports in servicing the UK's travel needs.

http://www.bristolairport.co.uk/about-u ... commission

He is also concerned that a proposed Independent Aviation Noise Authority that will levy a noise charge will be rolled out at other UK airports when he believes its primary purpose would be to limit the negative impacts of a third runway at LHR.

 

[Ray Finkle]

Re: Heathrow Decision - Birmingham Airport reaction

An interesting piece from Patrick Burns.

His principal concern for regions like ours is to improve our air links not with the world but with "Planet Heathrow".

That way, fewer of us would need to connect through those rival European gateways.
The Midlands is the only British region enjoying a trade surplus with China: Birmingham is the only British airport outside London with direct flights of any kind to Beijing.

No other region outside London does more business with the US. At 09:00 each morning, the two giants of American aviation, United and American Airlines, have flights setting off from Birmingham across the pond.

You would never guess any of this from the Davies report.

Full article: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-33348440

 

[jfy1999]

Re: Heathrow Decision - Birmingham Airport reaction

"So how significant was it, I wondered, that Mr McLoughlin went out of his way during his statement to list Birmingham and Manchester among major British airports that will make big contributions to British aviation?"

What I am a little surprised at is the fact that we do more U.S. business than Manchester even though there are so many more U.S. flights from there. That bodes well for the possibility of future services.

 

[Ray Finkle]

Re: Heathrow Decision - Birmingham Airport reaction

One of the reasons (but by no means the sole reason) that BHX has struggled to the US is the sheer volume of increased frequencies and cheap seats available only an hour away at LHR. Isn't it something like 30 odd departures per day to NYC alone?

One of the reasons BRS lost it's EWR link was when LHR opened up access to all airlines and their Continental service was effectively moved there.

Yet we're all supposed to believe that giving even more capacity to LHR is in the 'national interests'? :s_no

 

[Jon Dempsey]

Re: Heathrow Decision - Birmingham Airport reaction

I think it's more like the number of departures Ray. Travelling to and getting through Heathrow at rush-hour is not easy.

If you can get a flight a bit later, it's much more relaxed and still get there for 2/3 pm.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

Reading some of the press today it seems that the PM is going to go against the Davies Commission's LHR recommendation - for political reasons. No surprise there then that a politician will put party interests before country whether you agree with Davies or not re LHR.

Expensive commissions and committees are the stock in trade of a senior politician when he doesn't know what's best for his political ends. Davies was invented to delay the nasty decision until after the general election. The time is now arriving when some sort of decision will have to be made even if the decision is not to make a decision.

In a couple of years another small fortune can be spent on another commission in the hope that a more acceptable recommendation (for the government) will ensue.

If it's not LHR will Dave go for LGW? He seems to have some of his MPs against that too.

 

[jfy1999]

What would count as more acceptable? Loads of options have been put forward and so far they don't like any of them. Ultimately the regions could cash in on all this procrastination and woo some of LHR's potential suitors.

 

[Ray Finkle]

Yeah it's going to be a tough decision for Dave.

With all the words about devolution, rebalancing the economy, #Northern Powerhouse and #Midlands Engine is he then going to fly in the face of all that and give Heathrow the scope to suck much of the recent expansion seen by regional airports back to London?

 

[TheLocalYokel]

What would count as more acceptable? Loads of options have been put forward and so far they don't like any of them. Ultimately the regions could cash in on all this procrastination and woo some of LHR's potential suitors.

To senior members of a political party, anything that they can approve with at least a nod towards improving the UK's civil aviation offering so long as it doesn't lead to in-fighting within that party, particularly when that party is ruling the country with a very small majority.

For example, Boris Johnson said this week that as an MP he has to balance the needs of the economy of the country as a whole with environmental issues (code speak for "I can't upset my constituents most of whom don't want a busier Heathrow because they might not vote for me next time but environmentalism is a buzz word that will play well in my attempts to scotch the expansion of Heathrow which I've never believed should become bigger and busier").

If, as seems likely if you read the political press, the PM does turn his face against expanding Heathrow will be agree to a new runway at Gatwick or let the regions take the slack?

Anything other than a bigger Heathrow will probably play into the hands of the likes of Schipol, CDG and Frankfurt but there are many people in the country who would be happy to see other countries taking a bigger hit with what they regard as nasty, polluting aircraft.

 

[Seasider]

Think positively, this is a chance for the regional airports to get long haul services because Heathrow is full, especially MAN & BHX. More slots at LHR will lead to Airlines consolidating there.