UK News

from Breakingviews:

Memo to UK’s new air strategists: let numbers talk

By Robert Cole

The author is a Reuters Breakingviews columnist. The opinions expressed are his own.

After years of make-do-and-mend, the UK is once again arguing about the London’s airport capacity, and the possibility of a third runway at Heathrow. Most people seem keen only to rubbish plans they dislike. The right approach is to give airtime to all ideas - and then make a firm decision.

Much depends on the demand which needs to be met. It is certain that London currently caters for 140 million passengers per year. The trend is certainly upwards, if capacity is available. But could it almost triple to 400 million by 2050 as London’s mayor, Boris Johnson, thinks?

At best, any forecast is a guesstimate. The actual number will be determined by many things: the economy, technology, flight patterns, environmental concerns and competition from trains and airports outside of London, and outside the UK. But a prediction is crucial, so the analysis needs to be rigorous and intelligent, independent of any purely political preferences.

from Breakingviews:

New London air hub plan needs public money to fly

By Robert Cole
The author is a Reuters Breakingviews columnist. The opinions expressed are his own.

Heathrow is a jam-packed embarrassment for those who promote London as a global financial centre. A brand new four-runway hub in the Thames estuary east of the UK capital might relieve the squeeze. The idea is favoured by Boris Johnson, the mayor of London. Central government enthusiasm would be greater if all the funding could be raised from the private sector – although the UK government now says it will explore plans to maintain the UK’s aviation hub status.

Will the grope lobby thwart better air safety?

UK Home Secretary Alan Johnson said that London’s Heathrow would get body scanners this month to step up safety. Amsterdam’s airport operator made a similar announcement on Monday and others in Europe could follow.

That will go down like a lead balloon with the European Parliament, whose grope-fond members last year thwarted efforts to push ahead with more thorough passenger screening.

Decision time at Heathrow

The government has approved the third Heathrow runway, in the interests of jobs and British competitiveness.

The third runway — something airport operator BAA pledged it would not seek if it was granted permission to build Terminal 5 — will open up a sharp political divide, with several Labour MPs, the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats opposed to the idea.

Smashing up BAA – an improvement for passengers?

When the government established the British Airports Authority in 1965, its aim was to make airports more flexible and profitable. Profitable they may have been but flexibility is not something that Britain’s larger airports are renowned for.

The list of complaints about BAA is a long one, both from airlines and passengers. Airlines says the charges levied are excessive. Travellers say airport terminals are overcrowded, delays are all too frequent and increased bureaucracy has prevailed since the tightening of baggage restrictions in August 2006.

Is breaking up so hard to do?

BAA has long been the whipping boy for the often dismal ”passenger experience” at its airports. 

Too many shops, too many queues, not enough staff — the complaints are well-rehearsed and calls for the company to be broken up grow louder after every fresh disaster. At least they could get rid of Gatwick, and possibly Stansted too, the critics say.

Terminal 5 passengers speak out

Passengers delayed at British Airways’ new Terminal 5 at Heathrow tell Reuters reporter Golnar Motevalli how their travel arrangements were disrupted.

The airline cancelled 140 flights on Thursday and Friday after problems with the baggage handling system at the state-of-the-art terminal.