Infrastructure Developments

[Aviador]

Wilson has ‘taken no view’ on airport extension

Environment Correspondent Sammy Wilson has warned campaigners opposing a runway extension at George Best Belfast City Airport not to read too much into his decision not to take part in a crucial Belfast City Council vote.

The council voted to call for a public inquiry into the plan to extend the runway by a third, but the Environment Minister, a council member, was not in attendance. The council was voting on recommendations made by two of its committees.

It also agreed to investigate the possibility of engaging expert advice on the impact of the development on local communities and called on the Health and Environment Ministers to seek a Health Impact Assessment of the proposals.

Fiona McKinley of Belfast City Airport Watch said residents now believe Mr Wilson backs their demand.

“You can’t play fancy footwork with this,” she said.

“Cllr Wilson arrived a few minutes after the Committees’ recommendations were passed, but that doesn’t matter — what matters is that he didn’t go out of his way to block the proposal from two influential committees, one of them his own Town Planning Committee.

“This puts Sammy in a bit of a quandary. In effect, he has recognised and endorsed the need for a public inquiry — the need for proper public scrutiny of all the issues. So, if he is being consistent, he must do the same when he changes hats and looks at the issue as Planning Minister.

“Cllr Wilson has already made his mind up — at least he did when it came before his Council because he didn’t vote against it.

“All of which means that all the East Belfast representative has to do is sanction the public inquiry, sign the authorisation and give us all some hope that local politicians really do listen to the people.”

However, Mr Wilson warned that campaigners shouldn’t read anything into his decision not to attend.

“I have taken no view on it and that is why I didn't attend,” he told the Belfast Telegraph.

“This planning application will eventually come to me and I will be the final adjudicator.

“I will not make any comment which shows what my view will be until after I receive the final report. Until then I will keep out of it.” shouldn't read anything into what happened at the meeting."

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[Aviador]

Robinson steps in on airport plan

The airport hopes to fly to new European destinations

First Minister Peter Robinson has objected to the terms of a motion on a proposed extension of the runway at George Best Belfast City Airport.

The motion calls on Environment Minister Sammy Wilson to establish a public inquiry into the matter.

But Mr Robinson said if it was passed the environment minister would be caught between his own planning law and the assembly's decision.

The airport has said it could create 100 jobs and £120m in tourism revenue.

If planning permission is granted, the runway would be extended by 590 metres in the direction of Belfast Lough.

Mr Robinson told the assembly on Tuesday that Mr Wilson had been put in an "impossible situation".

He said the DUP had tabled an amendment to the original motion which had been put down by Alliance MLA Stephen Farry along with the Green Party.

Earlier, Mr Farry said questions needed answered.

Mr Farry said: "You have to ask yourself why is only one airline, namely Ryanair at the airport, pushing for this? Why is BMI, at best, neutral and why is Flybe, the main user of the airport, actually opposed, and lobbying against the runway extension?

"We have to look at the competition issues. Do we actually need two international airports for Belfast going head to head for a city of that size?"

However, Katie Best, the business development director at the airport, said the decision to ask for a runway extension was based on a "very strong business case".

"A public inquiry, realistically, would mean a delay of over two years and the question for both ourselves in the business and for Northern Ireland as an economy is: 'Is that going to have a detrimental affect and more to the point does it actually add any value?'"

She said the airport wanted to develop links to new European destinations.

"This extension is not a demand from Ryanair," she said.

"This is a very clear cut business case. Of course there is an advantage that we have a commitment from an airline to start international routes but there is also significant interest from elsewhere."

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[Aviador]

[textarea]Belfast City Airport prepares to open £6m terminal expansion

Belfast City Airport is to throw open the doors on phase one of its £6m expansion this weekend. The new facilities, due to be unveiled on Sunday, include a new departure lounge on the first floor capable of handling 12,000 passengers per day, new shops and restaurants.

The retail space will be increased by 60% and new tenants will include World Duty Free, WH Smith, Bushmills Bar, Harvest Market restaurant and Lavazza Coffee. The new units have also created 20 jobs. Work on new security search facilities at the airport is also due to be completed before Christmas.

Brian Ambrose, chief executive of George Best Belfast City Airport said: ‘Passengers will see a remarkable difference when departing the airport. This significant investment will enhance the customer experience as we aim to stay ahead of the curve in accommodating increasing passenger numbers.’

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[Aviador]

I can see this airport continuing it's growth in popularity. It's the airport closest to the centre of Belfast and it is the most popular airport of choice by the majority of people wanting to fly in or out of the city. If and when they get their runway extension I can see many airlines following the Easyjet move from the International airport to Belfast City.

The runway length with the 590m extension will be around 2350m long and will be long enough to handle most types of aircraft.

 

[Aviador]

[textarea]Belfast City Airport runway extension to be approved

Controversial plans to extend the runway at Belfast City Airport are to be given the green light, the Belfast Telegraph reports an SDLP MP has said. South Belfast MP Alasdair McDonnell said the airport's planning application is set to be passed with the support of Environment Minister Edwin Poots without a public inquiry.

The owners of the Belfast City Airport want to extend the runway by 590 metres to allow planes to fly further, opening-up new destinations in Europe and the Mediterranean. Dr McDonnell said: ‘My information is that the minister will make a public announcement by the end of the month in relation to the Airport runway. His decision will fly directly in the face of all logical arguments against such a move put forward by a wide cross-section of the general public and by politicians from all sides of the community. The minister and his department will try and sell this scheme by stressing that it will 'only be an additional 500 metres of tarmac'.’

The SDLP Economic Affairs spokesman said that if the plans were implemented they would present ‘intolerable pressures in terms of pollution and noise nuisance’. He added: ‘There are also major fears among the public that the additional flights will increase the potential for structural damage to homes and buildings across a wide area of Belfast.'

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[Aviador]

The SDLP Economic Affairs spokesman said that if the plans were implemented they would present ‘intolerable pressures in terms of pollution and noise nuisance’. He added: ‘There are also major fears among the public that the additional flights will increase the potential for structural damage to homes and buildings across a wide area of Belfast.'

Scare mongering on a massive scale. Is this guy for real?

 

[Aviador]

[textarea]Flybe continue fight against Belfast City Airport runway extension

Flybe has asked Northern Ireland's First Minister Peter Robinson to intervene in the row over Belfast City Airport’s runway extension planning application. The UK regional airline flies domestic flights from Belfast City, but is opposed to plans to extend the runway by 590m to allow planes to fly further, opening up new destinations in Europe and the Mediterranean favoured by rival Ryanair, who established a base at the airport this year.

It is reported that Environment Minister Edwin Poots could be poised to make his decision on whether the plans to extend the runway should go ahead before Christmas. But the Chief commercial manager of Flybe, Mike Rutter, met with the First Minister yesterday, telling him that the plans threatened the airport’s status as a ‘breeze-through’ short-haul airport that has been concentrating on business customers and bringing investment there. It also threatens Flybe's status at the airport, with rival Ryanair potentially picking off Flybe's most profitable routes.

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[Aviador]

[textarea]CAA report prompts calls to axe Belfast City Airport runway extension

A report by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) on information supplied by Belfast City Airport has prompted calls for the airport to withdraw its planning application for a runway extension, according to the Belfast Telegraph. The environmental statement supporting the application to extend the runway by one-third has ‘significant deficiencies’, the CAA said.

The noise report submitted to Planning Service by the CAA said that the evidence in the environmental statement was incomplete and advised caution in relying on it. It expressed particular concerns over the potential for the existing planning agreement to be breached, particularly the annual limit on seats for sale. The report also questioned the way the airport had worked out how large an area surrounding the site is affected by high noise levels.

Calling for a public inquiry into the plans, PUP leader Dawn Purvis said the report ran a ‘coach and horses’ through the airport’s environmental statement and questioned whether the airport can be trusted to control its own noise levels.

An airport spokesperson told the newspaper: ‘This report is one of many documents from a range of stakeholders that will be evaluated by Planning Service and the minister as part of due planning process. The airport is still awaiting a decision on its application to extend its runway, which will benefit the local community and wider economy.’

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[News Guru]

[textarea]Ryanair boss blasts Belfast Airport runway delay

Ryanair's chief executive has hit out at the decision to hold a public inquiry into a planned runway extension at Belfast City Airport. Michael O'Leary said new routes and new jobs were being held up by the ongoing process, and Northern Ireland was ‘losing out’.

Mr O'Leary said aircraft and routes were being given to other European countries because Belfast airport did not have a runway extension. He said: ‘The economy is losing out on these new routes, these new visitors, these new jobs because of the inability of the Northern Ireland government to make a decision in the interests of the Northern Ireland economy.’

The airport wants to extend the north east end of the runway by 590 metres while retracting 120 metres from the south west. The airport said this could create 100 jobs and £120m in tourism revenue. The public inquiry into plans to extend the runway at the airport was announced last month by Environment Minister Edwin Poots.

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[News Guru]

[textarea]Belfast City Airport runway inquiry delayed

A public inquiry into the proposed runway extension at Belfast City Airport is to be delayed amid a dispute over a noise pollution report submitted by the airport. It is unclear when the public inquiry will now begin.

The airport wants to extend the north east end of the runway by 590m while retracting 120m from the south west so that some planes could take on more fuel to fly further. Residents are opposed to the extension, fearing it will lead to bigger and noisier planes using the runway. The airport has said this could create 100 jobs and £120m in tourism revenue.

In March, the Environment Minister Edwin Poots announced there would be a public inquiry into the plans. Mr Poots said he had taken the decision in the ‘interests of everyone concerned’. However, the Planning Appeals Commission which is running the inquiry said it will not start until it gets more information from the airport about possible noise pollution.

A spokesman for the airport said it wished to see the public inquiry handled in a timely fashion but could not comment further at this stage.

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[News Guru]

[textarea]DoE wants Belfast City Airport inquiry

The Department of Environment has submitted a new request for a public inquiry into plans to extend the runway at George Best Belfast City Airport. The Planning Appeals Commission (PAC) refused to proceed with an inquiry last year. It wanted the DoE to produce more detailed environmental information about the likely noise impacts. It is not clear when the inquiry will begin but a preliminary meeting will be held on June 6.

The airport wants to extend the north east end of the runway by 590m while retracting 120m from the south west. Residents are opposed to the extension, fearing it will lead to bigger and noisier planes using the runway. The airport has said an extension could create 100 jobs and £120m in tourism revenue.

In an unusual move, the PAC voluntarily published letters between it and the DoE, which show some sharp exchanges on the matter. The PAC feared that if all environmental issues were not properly dealt with, there could be future legal challenges.

At a preliminary meeting on 6 June the PAC will outline the arrangements leading to the inquiry. The meeting will also deal with procedural queries and will consider whether there are any further matters likely to delay the inquiry. People who wish to take part in the inquiry should attend, or arrange to be represented at the meeting.

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[Aviador]

This is getting silly now. Ryanair has pulled the plug, Easyjet has said that some routes may transfer back to the International airport if this isn't resolved quickly. I wouldn't be surprised if there's a politician putting a spanner in the works somewhere along the line probably to suit their own personal agenda.

 

[News Guru]

[textarea]Belfast City Airport withdraw runway extension application

Plans to extend the runway at Belfast City Airport have been withdrawn, the BBC reports. The airport had wanted to extend the north-east end of the runway by 590m, while retracting 120m from the south west, in order to allow larger planes to operate flights to destinations across Europe. The proposals were first submitted to the planning authorities in 2008.

In a statement yesterday, the airport's Chief Executive Brian Ambrose said: ‘As the planning process relating to the runway application is now in its fourth year and some of the information contained within is now out-dated given our current operations, we have taken the decision to withdraw the current application.'

‘Our shareholder has therefore reprioritised capital expenditure within its extensive portfolio. Re-submitting the runway application in the future remains an option as the airport reviews its operations on an on-going basis.'

For more information on this airport news story visit: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-17494730[/textarea]

 

[News Guru]

[textarea]£1.7 MILLION ARRIVALS LOUNGE OPENS AT BELFAST CITY AIRPORT

Lord Mayor of Belfast, Alderman Gavin Robinson has officially opened a £1.7 million international arrivals lounge at George Best Belfast City Airport.

The private investment significantly enhances capacity of the arrivals areas and provides statutory agencies with improved facilities to process international passengers when Aer Lingus begin flights to and from Palma, Malaga and Faro in March 2013.

“Belfast City Airport is an important economic gateway, not only for the city of Belfast but for the wider region. In acknowledging the important role tourism plays in our city’s future, I welcome this latest investment by the owners of the airport.”

Chief Executive of Belfast City Airport, Brian Ambrose, said:
“Next year will mark the airport’s 30th anniversary and with our long term partners flybe and manx2, and new arrivals in British Airways and Aer Lingus, 2013 looks set to be an incredible year.

“The new arrivals facilities are the latest considerable outlay by our owners who have invested £15 million in the improving airport infrastructure over the last 4 years.

“We now serve 26 destinations with 17 daily flights to London and are now the sole link to London Heathrow from Belfast. We now have an airport that we hope exceeds the expectations of our passengers.”

Source: http://www.belfastcityairport.com/About ... -CITY.aspx[/textarea]