Aviation Scoping Document:
Response from AirportWatch
AirportWatch was formed in 2000. It is a network of all the local airport groups and
national environmental organizations campaigning on aviation matters in the UK.
Each organisation will put in its own response. The purpose of this response is to
pull together the evidence which AirportWatch has commissioned/produced to inform
the responses of the individual groups to the Scoping Document.
AirportWatch has always advocated a demand management approach to aviation. It
was very critical of the aggressive expansionist policies in the 2003 Air Transport
White Paper. It therefore welcomes the recognition in the Scoping Document that,
“unconstrained growth of aviation is not an option.” We endorse the view that “the
right balance must be struck between the economic, social and environmental costs
and benefits of aviation.”
1. Aviation and the Economy
International Connectivity
The Government is right to stress that “air transport provides the international
connectivity the country needs to succeed in a competitive global economy.”
AirportWatch compiled a report which looked at the current position. It found:
 Heathrow is ‘in a class of its own’ as far as its inter-connectivity to the key
business centres of the world is concerned, with more flights to these business
destinations than any other airport in Europe – in fact, more than the combined
total of its two nearest rivals, Charles de Gaulle and Frankfurt.
 London as a whole has a greater number of total flights to the world’s main
business destinations than the other cities surveyed, though it serves slightly
fewer total destinations (including leisure) than Paris. Many more passengers in
total, though, use London’s airports – around 130 million in 2010 compared with
less than 90 million at Paris’s airports (Airport Council International). London’s
connectivity to business destinations, key to economic growth, is still unrivalled.
 London has the highest number of flights to the key markets in Asia, the Middle
East, North America and Australasia; this is largely because Heathrow has a
much wider spread of destinations outside Europe than its European rivals.
 The largest number of flights from the European 'hubs' is to destinations within
Europe, reflecting the huge amount of short-distance, intra-European flying that
is taking place. This means that the key question is not lack of capacity at
Europe’s airports but how that capacity is used. The high percentage of intraEuropean flights suggests significant potential for modal shift from plane to train,
particularly given Europe’s growing high-speed rail network. The demand for air
travel to short-haul destinations would decrease.
This could potentially free
capacity to business destinations whilst reducing overall demand for air travel.
The full report can be found at:
http://www.aef.org.uk/downloads/Business_Connectivity_Report_August2011.pdf
Aviation and Jobs
The Government needs to look very hard indeed at the claims made about job
creation by the aviation industry. This is spelt out in an AirportWatch paper by Brian
Ross:
airports_regions_tourism.pdf
We are concerned that the Scoping Document seems to imply jobs in the aerospace
industry are in some way connected to the number of flights using UK airports. Our
evidence, in a paper prepared by Jenine Langrish for AirportWatch, is that this not
the case:
Aerospace_paper.pdf
Prioritise business or leisure flights?
There is a strong case to prioritise business travel. Though inbound tourist traffic is
important to the economy, it is business flights which can provide the connectivity
which business and industry is looking for. There are, though, two caveats to this:
 Although there is an economic case for catering for business air travel, this
should be the residual travel left once IT and rail have reduced it.
 The aviation industry and local authorities can overstate the importance of
regional air connectivity to business - see attached paper
Fiscal measures
The most effective way to prioritise business trips is through fiscal measures as
business trips are the least price-sensitive. The case for getting rid of the tax-breaks
the aviation industry currently enjoys is overwhelming.
economic (and environmental) benefits to the UK.
It would bring significant
This is spelt out in the paper
written by Brendon Sewill, Chairman of Gatwick Area Conservation Committee: see
attached paper
There is an economic case to reduce short-haul, budget flights. There is a close
correlation between their growth and the growth in the tourism deficit (the difference
between what visitors spend in this country and British people spend abroad). The
annual deficit runs into billions. For more detail see the paper produced by Jeremy
Birch for AirportWatch: airports_regions_tourism.pdf
If leisure fares were to rise as a result of the progressive removal of the tax-breaks, it
would not hit the ‘hard-working British family’ in the way the previous Government
claimed because working people would no longer be subsidizing the aviation industry
through their taxes and because the main beneficaries of cheap fares have been the
wealthiest segment of the population. The case is made in the AirportWatch paper
written by Brian Ross
For_richer_and_poorer.pdf
Slot auctioning/renting could potentially help prioritise business flights.
As the
situation is muddled, Government should, as a matter of priority, study that potential.
2. Aviation and Climate Change
Despite the advances in technology which will allow aircraft to become cleaner in the
future, it is difficult to see how emissions from aviation can be kept under control
unless the Government at the very least adheres to the targets recommended by the
Committee on Climate Change. The position is spelt out in a paper commissioned
from Peter Lockley:
Aviation_and_Climate_Change_Policy.pdf
AirportWatch welcomes the
Government’s broad endorsement of the Committee on Climate’s Changes
recommendations. In particular, it applauds the decision to rule out new runways in
the UK before 2050.
We note the passenger forecast demand figures expect
passenger numbers to rise to between 380 – 515 billion by 2050, that is between 1.5
– 2.3% growth. That is lower than under the previous administration and is a realistic
step in the right direction but, if this results in a significant growth in flight numbers, it
will be hard to keep emissions (and noise) under control.
3. Aviation and Biofuels
We would be deeply concerned if mandatory targets for biofuel use are introduced
given the uncertainty over the impact of the growth of biofuels and their still unproven
ability to reduce overall CO2 emissions. For more detail on our position on biofuels:
Biofuels and Aviation (1)
4. Aviation and Noise
AirportWatch welcomes the fact that noise is given – probably for the first time - a
central role in drawing up aviation policy. Current noise policy is out-of-date. It is
based on a report published in the 1980s. Crucially, it fails to take into account the
impact in the sheer rise in the number of flights since those days. The Scoping
Document provides the opportunity for a new, up-to-date policy to be developed. For
more details see the AirportWatch paper written by John Stewart:
Noise_Document.pdf
The health impacts of noise are covered in a paper written by Roger Wood:
Health_impacts_of_aircraft_noise.pdf
5. Aviation and Alternatives
Rail and video-conferencing can both provide alternatives to flying.
Where fast,
affordable rail services have been introduced in Europe, there has been modal shift
from short-haul flights to rail. The potential of video-conferencing is spelt out in this
report by WWF: "Moving On"
6. Links with Planning Policy
At this stage it is unclear how the emerging aviation policy links with planning policy.
This needs careful thought. A lot of our members represent residents around the
smaller airports. We are looking for reassurance that the principles and practices set
out in an aviation policy cannot be overridden by planning decisions of local
authorities. It is also important that these principles and practices apply to the whole
of the UK, including Northern Ireland.
7. Concluding Remarks
AirportWatch welcomes the new openness there is within Government to listen to,
and engage with, all sides of the debate.
We look forward to working with
Government as it develops its new aviation policy.
25.9.2011
www.airportwatch.org.uk
info@airportwatch.org.uk