BREAKING: Supreme Court backs Heathrow in 3rd runway decision
15/12/20
Tim Crosland of Plan B has broken the embargo. Decision to be officially announced tomorrow. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1HxxC4TQgHh_haFkikww74CBhwgYaKfu1Nooi9NwKJns/preview?pru=AAABdoq0zc4*x_pS5xIEqbN1M-86ODm53w
Supreme Court Decision 16th December
11/12/20
It was announced yesterday that the Supreme Court will deliver its verdict on Heathrow's appeal on the 3rd runway on Wednesday 16th December: https://www.supremecourt.uk/cases/uksc-2020-0042.html
LONDON CITY PUBLISHES MASTER PLAN
4/12/20
London City today published its Master Plan. It has no status in law but sets out City’s aspirations for the airport. It confirms that key proposals contained in the draft Master Plan have been dropped following pressure from residents, local authorities and the Mayor of London amongst others. It has dropped its controversial proposal to end the current weekend break when no flights are permitted between midday Saturday and midday Sunday. It also says there are no immediate plans to introduce more early morning and late evening flights. The Master Plan retains the aim to raise the current annual flight cap of 111,000 to 151,000. But the airport has stressed that is aspirational. In 2019 there were about 83,000 flights. This year numbers are down by over 90%. The airport’s first aim will be recovery. There is no indication in the Master Plan that the airport intends to put in a Planning Application to Newham Council, the planning authority, to lift the cap any time soon.
To read the Master Plan: https://media.londoncityairport.com/london-city-airport-publishes-master-plan/
Want to know how impacted a property is by planes?
2/12/20
People often contact us asking how badly affected an area is by aircraft noise. We can recommend that you contact richard.herson@aircrafttrafficsurvey.com an independent data expert who is able for £10 to check out a location, number of planes that fly over it, their height etc. His results are accurate. His website is www.aircrafttrafficsurvey.com
LONDON CITY PAUSES FURTHER EXPANSION
14/08/20
London City has had to pause its £500 million upgrade of the airport because of the dramatic fall in passenger numbers and uncertainty of when they will return in any significant numbers. It has so far spent £330 million building the 8 new aircraft stands and the parallel runway but the other works, including a significant expansion of the terminal, has been put on hold. It hasn’t yet released any information on the proposal in its Master Plan to almost double flight numbers from its pre-Covid levels but those, too, are expected to be paused.
HEATHROW NUMBERS DOWN
14/08/20
Heathrow passenger numbers were down by 98% during lockdown and are down 88% this month. It is thought that even if the airports wins its Supreme Court challenge about the 3rd runway, it is unlikely it will start planning for it anytime soon. The Supreme Court case will be held on 7th/8th October, with a verdict expected by the end of the year.
Flight Paths
14/08/20
It is unclear how the pause in the expansion work at London City will impact the work it has been doing in reassessing the controversial flight paths it introduced in February 2016. Or how Heathrow’s work on new flight paths will be affected by the dramatic drop in passenger numbers. The work on flight paths at both airports has been paused since March. It is likely to resume next month but there may not be the urgency there was previously. London City had been due to have a public consultation on its flight paths in February next year. That is likely to be put back. We should know more later this year.
London City Master Plan and its Flight Review put on hold
19/06/20
London City Airport Consultative Committee took place yesterday.
We heard the latest news about developmenmts.
The review of the controversial concentrated flightpaths has been paused. The Civil Aviation Authority is expected to say when the review will resume. You'll recall that the airport was reviewing its flight paths. A public consultation had been planned for early 2021. That will now be put back. All airports in London and the SE have been reviwing their flight paths. The work is being coordinated by air traffic control under guidance from the Civil Aviation Authority. It will be a major priority of both HACAN East and our sister organisation HACAN to put pressure on the relevant authorities to get this back on track. Without change to the concentrated flight paths, people are left without hope.
The airport's Master Plan has been put on hold. You'll recall that just before lockdown London City announced that it would drop the proposals that were in its draft Master Plan to end the 24 hour weekend break (no planes between 12.30pm Saturday - 12.30pm Sunday) and those to bring in more early morning and late evening flights. What remained was the proposal to lift the annual cap from 111,000 to 151,000. London City CEO Robert Sinclair told the consultative committee that the proposal will be considered in due course when it is clearer how demand is picking up.
London City is starting flights this Sunday with a flight to the Isle of Man. Robert Sinclair said that flight numbers could be back up to 50% of normal by the end of September but made clear there was still a lot of uncertainty about this.
Supreme Court grants Heathrow leave to appeal 3rd runway ruling
7/05/20
The Supreme Court announced today that it had granted Heathrow leave to appeal the ruling runway decision of the lower court. It did not give a date when the appeal will be heard.
For details of the Supreme Court’s decision: https://www.supremecourt.uk/news/permission-to-appeal-decisions-07-may-2020.html
For details of HACAN’s reaction, together with an explanation of what this might mean: https://hacan.org.uk/?p=6040
For details of the earlier verdict by the Appeal Court scroll down the front page of the website of HACAN, our sister organisation: www.hacan.org.uk
LONDON CITY OVERFLIES MORE PEOPLE THAN SCHIPHOL, MUNICH, MADRID OR BRUSSSELS
Our sister organisations HACAN compiled a list of the European airports which overfly the most people. It contains a number of surprises: http://hacan.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/European-Airports-numbers-impacted.pdf
NEW REPORT: LONDON CITY HAS OVERESTIMATED ECONOMIC BENEFITS OF EXPANSION BY UP TO 50%
19/03/20
A major report, published today, has found London City Airport has overestimated the economic benefits of its expansion proposals by as much as 50%. The report, commissioned by HACAN East from the independent Dutch consultants CE Delft (2), shows that the benefits of the proposed expansion would be over £200 million less than the airport has claimed.
The full report: http://hacan.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/CE_Delft_190363_Review_of_the_economic_impact_analysis_of_the_expansion_of_London_City_Airport.pdf
A short briefing on the report: http://hacan.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/CE-Delft-report-briefing.pdf
Read our press release in our press release section
MAKING PROGRESS
LONDON CITY AIRPORT BACKS DOWN ON KEY EXPANSION PROPOSALS
5/03/20
London City Airport has dropped its controversial plans to get rid of the 24 hour weekend break from the planes and to operate more early morning and late evening flights.
It told its Consultative Committee today that it would not be proceeding with these two key proposals it had outlined in its draft Master Plan which it consulted in earlier this year.
The airport may still want to seek to lift the current annual cap on flight numbers, the other main proposal outlined in the draft Master Plan, but did not expect to do so any time soon.
London City intends to publish its final Master Plan before the end of the month but has no immediate plans to put in a planning application to lift the cap. Whether and when they do it will depend on the sort of growth the airport is experiencing.
London City’s expansion plans had generated record levels of opposition from local authorities and communities impacted by the airport. The Mayor of London also came out in opposition.
John Stewart, the chair of HACAN East, the campaign group which had led the fight against the campaign proposals: “We are delighted that London City has listened to what people had to say and has dropped the plans to remove the weekend break and to bring in more early morning and late evening flights. However, we will continue to oppose and attempt to lift the annual flight cap.
LONDON CITY MASTERPLAN PUBLICATION POSTPONED
21/03/21
London City Airport announced yesterday that it has postponed the publication of its final Master Plan outlining its future plans during, which originally had been expected before the end of this month, because it is dealing with the impact of Coronavirus. No new date has been given.
LONDON CITY WANTS TO:
Almost double the number of flights from their current level. At present there are around 80,000 flights a year. There is an annual cap of 111,000. London City wants that lifted to 151,000.
Get rid of the 24 hour weekend break. Currently no flights are permitted between 12.30pm on Saturday and 12.30pm on Sunday.
Bring in more early morning and late night flights. But the night flight ban would remain.
Scroll down for more details and news of the opposition to the proposal
VIBRANT DEMONSTRATION AGAINST LONDON CITY AIRPORT EXPANSION:
Extinction Rebellion Newham organised a vibrant demonstration against the expansion of London City on 11th February outside the London offices of the the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan, the principal investor in the airport, in Portman Square. Speakers included the deputy leader of the Green Party Amelia Womack. Rupert Read from Extinction Rebellion, Murad Qureshi, former Labour London Assembly member and the chair of HACAN East John Stewart. See our press release section for the HACAN East press release issued. on the day.
WILL LONDON CITY COUNT THE POSTCARD RESPONSES TO IT CONSULTATION?
28/1/20
IT IS not certain that London City will count the thousands of postcards people sent in objecting to the expansion proposals in its draft Master Plan. Last Saturday launched it campaign in Leytonstone to call on the airport to COUNT MY CARD. See also press release in press release section.