Forum Topic

Heathrow to curb night flights

Heathrow offers to curb night flights as it fights to build third runwayhttp://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-36262479I wouldn't trust Heathrow on this.

Reg Ghosh ● 3376d9 Comments

The "M4 Junctions 3 to 12 Smart Motorway" proposal to convert the hard shoulder into a running lane is a bit of potential road widening, I suppose. The last I heard was that the Planning Inspectors said the "findings and conclusions arising from the examination, together with our recommendation will be sent to the Secretary of State for Transport no later than 3 June 2016."I guess the Secretary of State will be puzzled about what to do about lousy air quality. The Environmental Statement didn't look rosy and that was done before the doubts from the Volkswagen affair surfaced......

Tim Henderson ● 3374d

The so called jobs that will be created is a scandal in itself.One of my friends works at LHR in a long established retail business.He earns proportionately 40% less than he did when he first worked for the same business in the late 1970s.The shifts are longer, there are no free parking permits for unsocial hours, no subsidised canteen and the breaks are 50% less than in 1978.This is what to expect.Most airline check in and handling work will be almost fully automated.Skilled aviation occupations have already been relocated to Wales and other parts of the UK as the site is too expensive for operators to utilise for maintenance.It's low paid, low skilled jobs and that's about it.

Raymond Havelock ● 3374d

I can't see any road widening happening.  It would make pollution even worse and London land prices are now such that no scheme could afford the cost of buying up land (certainly urban land) just to widen roads.  There would be even more objections from the local community than there would be for LHR expansion.It seems that BA are hedging their bets on LHR by looking to do more transatlantic hubbing through Dublin airport (which is planning a second runway)Landing charges are much lower, Dublin has more connections to UK regional airports than LHR, if someone is flying from, say, Oslo, to New York, they won't really care where they change planes.Additionally it is possible to clear US customs and immigration at Dublin so saving time upon arrival at the US.

Michael Robinson ● 3374d

The cost of the Heathrow third runway has increased by £5 billion as it now becomes apparent the surrounding infrastructure requires this much upgrading. Surrounding infrastructure of course is road and rail. So what might we expect in the way of road improvements? I would suggest the M4 from three lanes to two is a major bottleneck that will be removed, along with the traffic lights and route through Chiswick. The North and SOuth Circular tie-ins to the M4 will also need widening and traffic flow improving. Overall then these currently kept quiet improvements are going to have a major detrimental effect on west London and Brentford, Chiswick, Kew and Ealing in particular.Also good to see Willy Walsh, head of BA, now says he doesn't want a third runway at Heathrow as the landing fees are going to be too high.

Lorne Gifford ● 3374d

Heathrow and the Government's promises are both worthless - expect night flights to stay as they are and pressure for a fourth runway to start in the early 2020s - which is about the time I'll be moving away...

Ian Speed ● 3376d

I think the 3rd runway idea is dead in the water, or at least should be.Heathrow pollutes dreadfully and this hasn't been addressed; the noise pollution is unacceptable and so on blah blah blah.Develop Gatwick - sorted. BUT our economty will lose out because it is so important for people in the digital age to fly everywhere when business can be done on the phone or internet.If runway 3 gets the all clear I will be cashing in and moving out so the South East will lose probably its most significant resident, so there.

William Prentice ● 3376d

And so it will go on.Approval given and then after the runway is built.  Representations and no doubt a corporate change and they will be putting a case to revoke the terms.That's probably a safer bet than Leicester City winning the League.

Raymond Havelock ● 3376d

> It is also odd that Heathrow are only offering to curb the night flights once "airspace modernisation" has been introduced. It isn't clear what modernisation they are referring to and what the relevance to night flights is.It doesn't have any relevance at all.  I assume the reason they are saying that is to pre-empt any pressure there might be to curb night flights if R3 doesn't go ahead.

Dave Robertson ● 3376d

There's probably more detail to come out on this. Heathrow are "offering" to have no scheduled movements between 2300 and 0530  whereas the Davies Commission wanted 2330 to 0600.I think currently there are no scheduled take-offs after 2300, but late-running and technical delays frequently mean departures carry on later. It was ironic that last night, immediately before this morning's announcement, a noisy BA 747 for Sao Paulo took off over Hounslow and Teddington at 0105. An unexplained "technical issue" and the need to remove a disruptive passenger have been given as reasons. It is hoped that a more effective curfew can be imposed in the next round of night flight restrictions.It is also odd that Heathrow are only offering to curb the night flights once "airspace modernisation" has been introduced. It isn't clear what modernisation they are referring to and what the relevance to night flights is.

Tim Henderson ● 3376d