With south east started of capacity, industry is warned not to expect action on infrastructure for at least a decade

Industry is being warned to expect a 10- to 15-year wait before the UK government’s future aviation strategy produces even a timetable for action.

The government is trying to develop a policy to enable the necessary infrastructure to be provided – particularly additional runways in the London area – to allow increasing demand for air travel to be met, and published a White Paper – or legislative proposal – last year.

Speaking at a 28 June conference in London, at which the air transport industry met to assess progress towards implementing the policy options outlined in a government White Paper, consultancy Mott MacDonald’s director of aviation strategy, Laurie Price, said there would be a review of the White Paper next year, which would only delay decisions further.

After eight years in power, the Labour government was yet to produce a timetable for infrastructure action, Price said, despite there having been several judicial reviews on new runway options that produced no barrier to action. Meanwhile, Price said, air transport movements had been expanding by 6-8% a year – well ahead of the forecasts on which the White Paper plans were based.

Aviation law specialist Michael Nott of Blake Lapthorne Linnell said that, although the government had set up procedures to accelerate local planning inquiries for major infrastructure projects, “if the government tries to speed up the process unreasonably, it will be possible to hold it to account [in law]”.

British Airways general manager airport policy Paul Ellis was more upbeat. He said he believed the government was behind BA’s main objective, which was to gain approval for a third runway at London Heathrow airport. But although Ellis said the airport master plan – including provision for a third runway – would be ready next year, he still predicted the new runway could not be operating before 2015. A property blight compensation scheme would be ready this year, he said.

Meanwhile, mixed-mode operation for the two existing runways was “Heathrow’s first deliverable”, said Ellis, and if approved would create additional take-off and landing slots. The operational plan for mixed mode would be ready before the end of this year. Currently one Heathrow runway is used for take-offs and the other for landings.

Hurdles for the White Paper

Mott MacDonald’s director of aviation strategy, Laurie Price, says there are many factors that could influence or stall progress towards an improved UK airport infrastructure, as detailed in the government White Paper. These include:

  •  lack of capacity at National Air Traffic Services;
  •  inability of airports to optimise the use of existing infrastructure in time to meet the need;
  •  planning permission impediments;
  •  legal challenges;
  •  airports’ unwillingness to invest;
  •  airlines’ unwillingness to pay;
  •  regulatory impediments;
  •  inability of the industry to meet environmental targets;
  •  security demands;
  •  government inertia.

DAVID LEARMOUNT/LONDON

Source: Flight International

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