Public Meeting with BAA
Posted on November 25, 2012
HACAN East has organized an important Public Meeting with BAA (now called Heathrow Airport) on Tuesday 4th December at 7.30pm in Toynbee Hall, 28 Commercial St, E1 6LS – 2 minutes walk from Aldgate East Underground Station. It will be held in Ashbee Hall, one of the meeting rooms in Toynbee Hall.
At the meeting BAA will outline plans to provide some relief for residents in parts of East and South East London who are troubled by night flights.
There will also be the chance to raise other issues with BAA. British Airways will also be present.
And there will be an update on the latest situation at London City Airport.
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Night Flights Demonstration
Posted on November 22, 2012
24th November: European Day of Action against Night Flights
Pyjama Photocall under the Heathrow Flight path
On 24th November politicians will join residents to stage a pyjama photocall as part of the European Day of Action against Night Flights. Demonstrators across Europe will call for night flights to be banned. Events are expected to be staged in Belgium, Italy and across Germany.
The pyjama photocall will be staged in Lampton Park, Lampton Road, very close to Hounslow Central Underground Station, at 10.30 am. Residents are encouraged to wear night dress. Politicians expected to attend include Seema Malhotra, the MP for Feltham and Heston, and Murad Qureshi who chairs the London Assembly’s Environment Committee.
The UK Government is expected to consult next month on a new night flight regime for the three designated airports – Heathrow, Stansted and Gatwick. The current agreement with the airlines runs out in October 2014.
HACAN Chair John Stewart said: “Night flights are hated across Europe. This day of action is expected to mark the start of a Europe-wide campaigned to get them banned.”
Seema Malhotra MP said: “Local residents around Heathrow Airport will be affected by night flights much more than others across Europe – and so it is right that our voice is being heard on this European Day of Action. I hope the residents of Feltham and Heston will make their views known and support the campaign.”
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London City Airport expansion plans take off in cloud of criticism
Posted on November 8, 2012
East London Advertiser
Mike BrookeTuesday, November 6, 2012
A £15 million expansion programme announced by London City Airport to mark its 25th anniversary has been criticised by campaigners over the increasing number of flights—double the restrictions imposed when it first opened.
Airport bosses celebrated a-quarter-of-a-century in expanding business yesterday with plans announced for more flights, new departure gates and passenger lounge facilities, including upgrading the International Arrivals hall.
The work is expected to take off early in the New Year.
Airport chief executive Declan Collier said yesterday: “The investment means we can absorb some European air traffic from other airports in the South East that are beginning to feel the strain.”
But the expansion year-on-year goes against the original planning when the airport was opened by the Queen on the former quayside in the Royal Docks on November 5, 1987, campaigners stress.
Only four airlines operated, with flights to just three destinations—Plymouth, Paris and Brussels.
Today, 25 years on, 10 airlines fly to 42 destinations across the UK and Europe, as well as twice-a-day to New York.
Hacan East, which represents families living under the flight paths across east London, has accused airport bosses of broken promises.
The government inspector at the original airport public inquiry in the 1980s restricted aircraft to quiet turbo-props rather than the jets that campaigners say proliferates today, and flights limited to 30,000 a year, Hacan pointed out.
“The airport has failed the families,” claimed campaign chairman John Stewart. “It’s just not believable that it had any intention of keeping the promises made 25 years ago. We’ve had a-quarter-of-a-century of expansion based on deception.”
City Airport, just three miles from Canary Wharf and six from the City, currently handles 70,000 flights a year—more than double when it opened—with plans to increase to 120,000 flights carrying 10 million passengers.
It also celebrated its millionth flight this year as well as its 36 millionth passenger.
Some 3.2 million passengers are expected this year to pass through the airport, with its 20-minute check-in and 10-minute arrival from tarmac to public transport links.
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London City, 25th Birthday: the airport that fooled and failed local people
Posted on November 5, 2012
5/11/12
The airport that fooled and failed local people
To mark its 25th birthday today, London City Airport announced £15 million of investment in new infrastructure (1). But local campaigners argue there is very little to celebrate. HACAN East, the body which represents residents under the Airport’s flight paths, has listed the way the airport has broken its promises to the local community about the number and size of planes that would use the airport (2).
The inspector at the original public inquiry made it clear that, in order to protect the local community, he only gave permission for the airport to open on the understanding that very strict conditions were applied about the number of planes that were allowed to use it. He also stipulated that only quiet turbo-props be permitted at the airport.
The Inspector said: “ Summarising my views on noise control, aircraft types should berestricted…..and flights should be-limited to the equivalent of 30,160 DASH-7 movements per year, 120 per day from Monday to Friday and 40 per day on Saturdays or Sundays”.
Within a few years of the airport opening it had applied for permission to extend the runway and use larger aircraft. By 2009 it had permission to operate 120,000 jet aircraft a year.
John Stewart, Chair of HACAN East, said, “The airport has fooled and failed local people. It is just not believable that the airport had any intention of keeping the promises made 25 years ago. It has been a quarter of a century of expansion based on deception”.
ENDS
Notes for Editors:
(1). http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-20200086
2). http://www.hacaneast.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/City-Airport-25-years-of-broken-promises.pdf