'LIVE' CONSULTATIONS
Local Industrial Strategy
Coast to Capital LEP consultation on the draft economic profile to inform the Local Industrial Strategy for the LEP region. Closing date for comments is 31 October 2019.
Click here to see press release. Click here to see draft economic profile for consultation.
NEWS HEADLINES
- Leading on Clean Growth - Gov.uk October 2019
The Government Response to the Committee on Climate Change's 2019 Progress Report to Parliament - Reducing UK emissions. Click here to view pdf document
- Queen's Speech confirms legally binding targets for air pollution - Air Quality News 14.10.19
The government has confirmed that it plans to introduce legally binding targets for air pollution. The pledge was included in the Queen's Speech on 14 October and will make up part of the long-awaited Environment Bill, which was one of 26 bills to be introduced in the speech. At the time of writing, the government has not announced which targets will be in place but it's expected they will look to World Health Organisation (WHO) guidelines for fine particulate matter (PM2.5), one of the most harmful pollutants to human health. Read more
- Gatwick drones investigation under the spotlight - Crawley Observer 16.10.19
- Park First investors sue after collapse of Gatwick carpark scheme - Evening Standard 16.10.19
- Gatwick Airport Extinction Rebellion protest under way - recap - Surrey Live 18.10.19
- Flightpath net zero: IAG commits to net zero CO2 emissions by 2050 - IAG
IAG has led aviation action on climate change for over a decade. Now, we are stepping up our commitment with a package of new measures to reduce our carbon footprint and a long term goal to reach net zero CO2 emissions by 2050. As an industry, we are currently reliant on fossil fuels and the low carbon solutions for aviation are more complex than for many other sectors. But we believe our ambitious goal is achievable. Read more and download full PDF
- Is UTM the answer to safe, shared airspace between drones and aircraft? - International Airport Review 01.10.19
A new report from the Connected Places Catapult (CPC) has attempted to show one way in which the safety dilemmas concerning drones might be achieved. The report lays the groundwork for an Unmanned Aircraft Systems Traffic Management (UTM) to allow commercial drone usage in the UK alongside traditional manned aircraft. Read more
- Demography, geography, and airport traffic - Airports Council International 03.10.19
An article on population and economic trends, and the consequent effect on airport traffic. Read full article
- Using technology to enhance arrivals and departures - NATS Blog 11.10.19
Air Traffic across Europe is at an all-time high and is set to increase. As an industry we want to minimize our environmental impact whilst enabling people to fly. The SESAR 2020 Enhanced Arrivals and Departures project, led by NATS, focuses on operational improvements to the management of inbound and outbound flights in Terminal Manouvering Areas (TMAs). Read more
- Sorry Ryanair, there's no such thing as a green airline - Wired 12.10.19
Of the European Union's ten biggest carbon dioxide (CO2) emitters, nine of them are coal-fired power plants. The tenth is Ryanair, the low-cost Irish airline which released 9.9 megatonnes of greenhouse gases in 2018 - a 6.9 per cent increase from 2017. But Ryanair has its own spin on the data that contradicts the EU Transport & Environment group's report. According to a series of TV, print and radio adverts promoting the airline, Ryanair should be the airline of choice for carbon-conscious flyers. Read more
- Number of seats on flights to increase by 4 per cent this winter - Independent 14.10.19
Despite the collapse of Thomas Cook, and the failure this year of Adria Airways, Flybi, Jet Airways and Wow Air, the number of available seats for European travelers this winter is set to increase by nearly 4% compared with a year ago. Read more
- Air miles should be axed to deter frequent fliers, advises report - Guardian 14.10.19
Air miles schemes should be axed as they encourage jet-setters to take extra flights in a bid to maintain "privileged traveller status", according to a report commissioned by the government's climate change advisers. An "escalating Air Miles Levy" should also be introduced to rein in the number of trips taken by frequent flyers without penalising those taking an annual holiday, with the income raised to be invested into low-carbon aviation technology. Read more
- Aircraft of failed carriers to be used in future repatriation of passengers - Travel Weekly 14.10.19
Aircraft owned by failed airlines would be used to repatriate passengers under new government plans. Proposed legislation to be unveiled in the Queen's Speech would enable collapsed carriers to be placed in special administration. This would allow their aircraft and crew to continue flying to return travellers back to the UK. Read more
- Major new aviation centre to open in South Wales - UK Aviation News 15.10.19
Vale of Glamorgan based Caerdav (formerly Cardiff Aviation) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with United Arab Emirates based MOBH Group to create a major new aviation centre in South Wales. The deal will see Caerdav setup and run a 'centre of excellence' for commercial aviation training at the Bro Tathan, the new enterprise park in the Vale of Glamorgan. The centre will offer ab-initio flight training, Multi-Crew Co-operation courses, Upset Prevention & Recovery Training, type ratings as well as a dedicated course for cabin crew. The agreement will also see a brand new paint hanger built at St Athan allowing aircraft up to the size of a Boeing 767 to be painted. Read more
- easyjet and easyTravelSeat to make flying more accessible - UK Aviation News 15.10.19
Leading low-cost airline easyJet is working with easyTravelSeat in order to make flying more accessible to wheelchair users. easyTravelSeat is a brand new product which is an in-situ transfer sling and seat designed to help wheelchair users transfer safely and comfortably into and out of aircraft seats, enhancing the overall passenger experience for wheelchair users. Read more and view video
- NATS launches online drone hobbyist training course - NATS 15.10.19
Designed with new drone owners and hobbyists in mind, the animated course presents an overview of current UK flight safety rules and regulations governing drone use and features a series of interactive quiz questions based on key elements of responsible drone operation. Read more
- Imperial College report for the CCC says regulations are needed, on marketing and advertising of high-CO2 flights and holidays - Airport Watch 15.10.19
A report by Dr Richard Carmichael of Imperial College was commissioned by the Committee on Climate Change (CCC) to look at behaviour change, public engagement and the UK Net-Zero target. It made a number of recommendations, one on advertising of flights. It says: "Advertising and marketing of holiday destinations and airlines also stimulate demand for flying and help set norms and aspirations about flying. Advertising and packaging for alcohol and tobacco has long been tightly controlled in view of their health risks, and gambling marketing must warn about irresponsible betting. More responsible flying could also be encouraged by new regulations for the marketing and promotion of flights and holiday destinations by requiring that carbon footprints of flights are stated in the advertising material. This could raise awareness and begin to change the norm of unproblematic unlimited flying." Read more
- Big rise in fraud attacks against airlines - Travel Mole 15.10.19
According to the latest Fraud Attack Index from e-commerce fraud prevention specialists, Forter, attack rates on airlines have jumped 61%. Forter said the increase can likely be attributed to the rise in loyalty programme issues and some related data breaches. Read more
- How much is your nearest airport planning to expand? - Sky News 15.10.19
Airports across the UK have revealed how much they are planning to expand over the next two decades. Read more
- Huge expansion plans by all UK airports mean carbon cap would be greatly exceeded - Airport Watch 16.10.19
UK airports are planning to expand almost three times faster than the government's climate change advisers, the Committee on Climate Change (CCC), say is sustainable. Sky News has done an analysis, which shows the "masterplans" for 21 of the country's biggest airports show they intend to add 192 million passengers to the 286 million that already use their terminals, over the next 10-20 years. Read more
- Reach for the Sky to inspire young people - Flyer 17.10.19
A new skills programme to promote careers in the aviation industry to under-represented groups has been unveiled by the Aviation Minister, Paul Maynard. The programme, Reach for the Sky, is aimed primarily at young people from under-represented groups and will be delivered through partnerships with industry, expert bodies and educational establishments, helping make the UK the best place to follow a career in aviation. Read more
- Travel companies accused of failing disabled travellers - Travel Mole 17.10.19
Travel providers could be leaving themselves open to legal action from disabled travellers, says David Bott, senior partner of Bott and Co. Here he outlines what airlines, tour operators and other travel providers need to do to make sure disabled travellers are properly cared for. Read more
- Heathrow challengers head to High Court - Buying Business Travel 17.10.19
Two groups opposed to plans to build a third runway at Heathrow are at the High Court today as part of an appeal hearing. A cross-party group of politicians is joining the No Third Runway Coalition, which is made up of local authorities, the mayor of London, Greenpeace, Friends of the Earth and Plan B Earth. Also in court today is Heathrow Hub, which submitted an independent proposal to extend and existing runway to grow capacity at the airport. Both challenges are being made against the government's decision to designate the Airports National Policy Statement on two grounds, according to No Third Runway - "the absence of plans to address commitments under the Habitats Directive and the incompatibility of the expansion plans with the UK's climate change commitments". Read more See also Friends of the Earth article
- No clarity on Brexit or Heathrow as transport secretary fails to turn up at aviation conference - Independent 17.10.19
Grant Shapps MP was unavailable to attend the Airlines 2020 conference in Westminster on Thursday due urgent parliamentary business. Read more
- Engineering the future: Working at Britain's biggest and busiest international airport - NATS Blog 17.10.19
Zoe, who is currently training with NATS as an Engineering Technician, tells us a bit more about her role at Britain's biggest and busiest international airport. Read more
- Hays Travel to take on 2,500 ex-Cook staff - Travel Mole 18.10.19
A week after Hays Travel announced it was taking over the 555 shops, it has already employed over 2,000 ex-Cook employees. In total, it expects to take on 2,500 to help run its new shops. Read more
- Qantas starts trials of 20-hour non-stop flight - Travel Mole 18.10.19
Qantas begins its keenly awaited 'Project Sunrise' flight test on Friday, flying nonstop from New York on a marathon 20-hour flight. The few passengers aboard will enjoy a 'lost weekend' in the air. The ultra-long-haul trial flight is so long it takes off on Friday and lands in Sydney, Australia on Sunday local time. The new Boeing 787 is taking a reduced payload in order to reach its destination made up of members of the media and other human 'guinea pigs' whose health will be monitored. Qantas is also working with sleep researchers from the Cooperative Research Centre for Alertness, Safety and Productivity to carry out research on pilots and cabin crew during the flight. Read more
- Norwegian and Jetblue plan interline - Buying Business Travel 18.10.19
Low-cost carriers Norwegian and Jetblue have announced plans to form an interline agreement that would see passengers able to book flights from Europe to destinations across the US. Under the plans, customers would be able to book transatlantic services and connecting flights to points within the US in one transaction, with the airlines hoping to launch the partnership for the summer 2020 season. Read more
- 'No third runway at Heathrow before 2035,' predicts Emirates boss - Independent 18.10.19
The president of one of the world's most successful airlines, Emirates, has predicted the planned expansion of Heathrow airport will be delayed or cancelled. Asked when the proposed third runway might open, Sir Tim Clark replied: "2035 if you're lucky." But he added: "I'm not altogether sure that it will happen." Read more
- Airbus and Delta partner to develop predictive maintenance solutions - Aerospace Technology 18.10.19
The cross-fleet solutions will leverage each of the partners' expertise in airframes, systems and engines. It will be accessible through a unified portal powered by Airbus' Skywise platform. Airbus SVP digital solutions head Norman Baker said: "Predictive maintenance, powered by Skywise, is now widely proven with our customers as the best way to achieve comprehensive insights into aircraft operation issues, enabling them to maintain higher levels of fleet availability." Read more
- Climate protests have 'got through' to airlines - Travel Weekly 18.10.19
The message from climate protest group Extinction Rebellion "has got through" to aviation industry leaders, according to Dale Keller, chief executive of the Board of Airline Representatives (BAR) UK. Keller told the Airlines 2050 conference in London on Thursday: "Governments can't ignore the climate debate. The message from Extinction Rebellion has got through to the industry." Iata chief economist Brian Pearce agreed, telling the conference: "Climate is now a material issue for airline investors. It comes up in meetings with airline managements. It is top of the agenda for mainstream investors. We are getting pressure from all quarters." Read more
GAL PRESS RELEASES, EVENTS AND UPDATES
Former Shadow Chancellor, Ed Balls, gives keynote speech at Gatwick's Transport Forum - 14/10/2019
- Forum helps create an integrated approach to transport provision across the region
- Discussions included how the transport sector can collaborate and innovate to reach the Government's target of achieving net zero carbon emissions
- Audience hears how Gatwick now gets 44% of passengers and 43% of staff to the airport by public and other sustainable forms of transport
Ed Balls, the former Shadow Chancellor, gave the keynote speech at Gatwick's Transport Forum on Friday.
The event designed to create an integrated approach to transport provision across the region and around 150 transport service providers and manufacturers, local authority transport officers and community representatives attended.
The audience received updates on major projects, including the M23 Smart Motorway upgrade, plans to redevelop Gatwick's train station and initiatives to promote shared transport services and electric vehicles.
Gatwick also issued a call for redoubled collaboration and innovation between the airport and the region's transport providers to ensure the transport network will be "net zero emissions ready" in line with the Government's 2050 target.
The airport has a commitment to provide sustainable travel choices and reduce the environmental impacts of journeys to and from the airport and highlighted its target of getting 48% of passengers to the airport by public transport by 2022.
It also announced that 44% of passengers were already using public transport - 38% by train and 6% by bus or coach - and that 43% of staff commute to work using sustainable forms of transport.
Ed Balls, former Shadow Chancellor, said: "Airports are a cornerstone of our economy, contributing new jobs, business relationships and tourism. I am delighted to attend Gatwick's Transport Forum and fully support its aim of creating a truly integrated regional transport system so that passengers can get on and off the airport as efficiently and easily as possible."
Emma Rees, Head of Real Estate and Surface Transport, Gatwick Airport, said: "As an airport we are determined to increase sustainable travel options by supporting transport initiatives that help to improve the environment.
"For example, we recently completed a £3.8 million upgrade to improve the quality of our bus facilities and we will start work on a £150 million upgrade to our train station, both of which will encourage more passengers and staff to use public transport.
"The Transport Forum is a great way for us to discuss these and other exciting initiatives. By having so many of our partners in one room, the event also helps us create a truly integrated approach to transport provision across the region."
