Davies Commission Final Report

[Ray Finkle]

Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin probed by Midlands MPs for ignoring England's engine room.

[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bVB0bBMRdM&feature=youtu.be[/video]

 

[Ray Finkle]

Utilise Birmingham Airport & Release pressure from overheated Heathrow

[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=90U3HMIdXuM&feature=youtu.be[/video]

 

[TheLocalYokel]

More and more hints being dropped (no doubt deliberately from government sources) that the Davies recommendation re LHR will not be followed.

 

[Aviador]

Gatwick challenges 'flawed' Airports Commission analysis

Analysis used in the Airports Commission’s final report backing a third runway at Heathrow has been criticised as “flawed” by rival Gatwick.

The airport is to write to prime minister David Cameron with its concerns covering some of the Commission’s data, analysis and findings.

Read more: http://www.travelweekly.co.uk/Articles/ ... lysis.html

 

[Ray Finkle]

An excellent article by Colin Leighfield who is the Chair of the Black Country Chamber of Commerce Transport Group. I think it sums up how most of us feel.

It is based on the conclusions of the Davies Commission report, which recommends Heathrow extension based on an assessment of pressure on a South-Eastern dominated economy and the wish of major airlines such as BA and Virgin to centralise their operations to suit themselves at the inconvenience of everyone else.

The CBI has predictably thumped the Heathrow tub based on the claim that Heathrow is what business wants, and upon the announcement of the Heathrow recommendation the Director General of British Chambers, John Longworth, issued a press release welcoming the news and saying that it is what Chamber members wanted. However, two of the largest Chambers of Commerce, Greater Birmingham and Black Country, have said that they do not support the Heathrow decision, immediately putting a dent in Mr. Longworth’s claim.

Full article: https://blackcountrychamber.wordpress.c ... ic-growth/

 

[TheLocalYokel]

IAG will oppose a third runway at LHR according to its CEO, Willie Walsh. If necessary they are prepared to take legal action to prevent it.

The reason seems to be the reported £17 billion that the owners of LHR would have to contribute to the project which IAG believes will be passed on to the airlines using the airport.

http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/business/ ... 3d0baaa15f

 

[Ray Finkle]

:shok:

Mr Walsh said that Heathrow would try to pass on the cost of that £17 billion to its customers — the airlines, of which BA is by far the most dominant. He calculated that the cost passed on by Heathrow would cause IAG’s bill in air charges for operating at the airport to rise by about 50 per cent to £1.3 billion a year from £800 million to £900 million today — costs that ultimately would be passed on to passengers in higher fares.

 

[jfy1999]

So would that mean LHR losing passengers and other airports cashing in? :spiteful:

 

[TheLocalYokel]

So would that mean LHR losing passengers and other airports cashing in?

The options for the government seem to be, broadly, a new runway at LHR or a new runway at LGW or substantial expansion of regional airports, particularly the larger ones at MAN and BHX. That's not to say that, if LHR or LGW finds itself with a new runway, the main regional airports won't see significant growth, especially in the short term as any new runway isn't going to happen overnight.

Should LHR not be given additional runway provision it's inevitable that it will stagnate and many believe that airports such as Paris Cdg, Amsterdam and Frankfurt would benefit. It would also be a step change in the UK's connectivity with the rest of the world.

I'm not arguing one way or the other as to the rights and wrongs of expanding or not expanding LHR. The issues involved are many and complex: political; environmental; economic, to name but three.

It would certainly be convenient for many to have the UK international route network spread more equitably around the country but whether this is truly feasible must be open to considerable doubt given the way that the UK is set up.

Being a cynic with an inherent mistrust of politicians of all political creeds I believe that the ultimate decision will be taken on party political grounds. The PM has spoken of a decision being made by the end of the year. I won't be surprised if that decision is to delay the decision.

 

[Ray Finkle]

Support for runway three seems to be dwindling all the time.

Edinburgh Airport chairman: third runway at Heathrow would "stifle competition"

A THIRD runway at Heathrow would "stifle competition" and leave Scotland "feeding a steroid-enhanced" hub at the expense of its own growth, the chairman of Edinburgh Airport has warned.

Sir John Elvidge, said the case for expanding Heathrow was based on an "old-fashioned assumption that we in Scotland are to be forever dependent on a giant monopoly airport in the South East".

http://m.heraldscotland.com/news/138776 ... d+Scotland

 

[Aviador]

BBC reporter Victoria Derbyshire has just been interviewing London Mayor candidate Sadiq Khan and Bob Stuart regarding airport expansion. http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/live/bbctwo

 

[TheLocalYokel]

So the government has decided to delay a decision on a third runway for LHR until much later next year. No surprise there then. I've always said it will be a party political decision in the end - and that would apply to whichever party was in power.

They have always said that they would make a decision by the end of the year. Well, I suppose they have. They've made a decision not to make a decision.

The suggestion that more time is needed to assess environmental issues is a pure smokescreen. Everyone knows the real reason is the London mayoralty elections next year and the the fact that several leading Conservative MPs oppose LHR expansion and some have seats in the area. One says he will resign and force a by election if a third runway is authorised. With its narrow majority that's the last thing the government wants.

 

[Aviador]

As has been pointed out elsewhere in the forum, this weeks climate summit in Paris may have had something to do with the decision. It would be hypercritical to sign-up to reducing Co2 emissions yet only days before saying your going to build new runways at whichever airport.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

As has been pointed out elsewhere in the forum, this weeks climate summit in Paris may have had something to do with the decision. It would be hypercritical to sign-up to reducing Co2 emissions yet only days before saying your going to build new runways at whichever airport.

I'm certain the same non-decision would have been made had the Climate Conference not taken place. Politicians don't worry about hypocrisy (it's a stock in trade for many of them) and anyway would have spun a tale separating the two issues if the need had arisen.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

Willie Walsh, CEO of IAG, is now threatening to expand his business in Spain or Ireland, rather than in the UK, if the government continues to 'dither' over a LHR third runway decision.

I sometimes detect a bit of Michael O'Leary about him - both are Irish after all with Walsh, unlike O'Leary, a former airline pilot - and have that (to me anyway) endearing trait of making threats with something of a twinkle in the eye.

How much this is an attempt at trying to put pressure on politicians and how much of it is a genuine scenario remains to be seen.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... where.html

 

[jfy1999]

Willie Walsh, CEO of IAG, is now threatening to expand his business in Spain or Ireland, rather than in the UK, if the government continues to 'dither' over a LHR third runway decision.

Why is the possibility that BA might expand from UK airports other than London not even being considered in light of the possibility that the third LHR runway will be scrapped? BA can coexist with Easyjet, Norwegian etc at LGW, so why couldn't it have smaller-scale operations at MAN, EDI or BHX where these other airlines don't have such a large presence?

 

[TheLocalYokel]

Why is the possibility that BA might expand from UK airports other than London not even being considered in light of the possibility that the third LHR runway will be scrapped? BA can coexist with Easyjet, Norwegian etc at LGW, so why couldn't it have smaller-scale operations at MAN, EDI or BHX where these other airlines don't have such a large presence?

A good question. It seems an obvious way to go.

BHX, MAN and EDI or GLA would seem the likely contenders if a 'devolution' of BA across several UK airports was considered.

Part of the problem might be that to fragment the airline across several bases might not have the economy of scale that IAG requires. I don't know this. I'm just putting it forward as a possible explanation or perhaps one of them.

 

[Ray Finkle]

Willie Walsh, CEO of IAG, is now threatening to expand his business in Spain or Ireland, rather than in the UK, if the government continues to 'dither' over a LHR third runway decision.

I sometimes detect a bit of Michael O'Leary about him - both are Irish after all with Walsh, unlike O'Leary, a former airline pilot - and have that (to me anyway) endearing trait of making threats with something of a twinkle in the eye.

How much this is an attempt at trying to put pressure on politicians and how much of it is a genuine scenario remains to be seen.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... where.html

So what is it that Mr Walsh wants? He's talked about not being prepared to pay for runway three though the inevitable increase in pax charges, yet he says he'll move elsewhere if it doesn't get sorted soon? Does he really think that a project like this can be totally funded by the tax payer with zero impact on the fees that are charged?

Why is the possibility that BA might expand from UK airports other than London not even being considered in light of the possibility that the third LHR runway will be scrapped? BA can coexist with Easyjet, Norwegian etc at LGW, so why couldn't it have smaller-scale operations at MAN, EDI or BHX where these other airlines don't have such a large presence?

BA had just that and chose to scrap them in favour of London, I wonder if it's a decision they now regret.