'LIVE' CONSULTATIONS
- Heathrow Airport Expansion Consultation - Consultation closes 13 September 2019
Click here to see the expansion plans / Click here to see the consultation
NEWS HEADLINES
- The Airbus A350: a quiet, efficient giant - Virgin Atlantic blog 08.08.19
- Aviation returns to the Commons - Business travel News 12.08.19
- Baroness Ruby McGregor-Smith appointed new Chair of AOA - International Airport Review 20.08.19
- Ryanair loses High Court bId to block British pilots' strike - Travel Weekly 21.08.19
- Ryanair granted injunction preventing Irish pilot strike - Travel Weekly 21.08.19
GATWICK NEWS
- Jazeera Kuwait - Gatwick launch- Business travel News 12.08.19
The first new service in 55 years between the UK and Kuwait is set for take-off from 27 October with Kuwaiti low-cost carrier (LCC) Jazeera Airways planning a daily service to Gatwick using a new Airbus A320neo. In addition to serving Kuwait, flights will provide onward connectivity to Dubai, Bahrain, Doha and New Delhi via the Jazeera owned and operated Terminal 5 at Kuwait Airport. Read More
- Gatwick unveils five-year investment plan - Business travel News 12.08.19
A new five-year Capital Investment Programme (CIP) was published last week by Gatwick in a £1.1bn commitment to more automation and technology as an enabler of sustainable growth. New initiatives backed by owners Vinci Airports and Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP) include robotic parking and automated boarding technology, which Gatwick said would simplify procedures and give passengers more choice on how they spend their time.
The single biggest project to be delivered within the next five years is the Pier 6 western extension (below), enabling more than 500,000 more North Terminal passengers to embark and disembark aircraft via jetty-served stands and improved gate waiting areas. Other new projects identified in the CIP include check-in automation, significant expansion of the international departure lounges in both North and South Terminals, and biometric auto-boarding technology development and next phase of testing. Also planned is main runway technology optimisation using techniques such as Time-Based Flow Management, which offers the potential to increase the capability of the main runway to create opportunities for resilience and growth. Read more
- Norwegian Air plane damaged after crashing into fence at Gatwick Airport - Metro 13.08.19
A 300-seater aeroplane was damaged when it hit a fence while being maneuvered from its departure gate at Gatwick Airport yesterday. The Norwegian Air Boeing 787 Dreamliner was pushed too far back, causing it to hit a fence. A cone that contains the auxiliary power unit at the rear of the aircraft appeared to suffer damage on flight DI7017 at 9.50am. It is believed the object that it hit was a noise mitigation barrier and pictures show emergency crews rushing to the incident. Read more
- Why Gatwick expansion adds to the aviation carbon headache - Aviation Environment Federation 15.08.19
In July, Gatwick Airport published its master plan setting out its intention to progress detailed design and development work to bring the existing standby runway into regular use alongside the main runway, while continuing to safeguard land for an additional runway to the south.
Growth projections underpinning the master plan suggest that use of the standby runway could see passenger numbers grow to 70 million passengers per annum (mppa) by 2032/33, a 53% increase on the 45.7 million passengers who used the airport in 2017/18. Aircraft movements are set to grow at a slower rate due to an estimated 10% increase in the average number of passengers per plane, but by 2032/33 they could reach 390,000 movements per annum, around 39% more than the airport handled last year. Read more
- Delta Returns To Gatwick, Boosts UK-US Capacity With Virgin Atlantic - Airways 15.08.19
MIAMI—Delta Air Lines, together with its British joint venture partner, Virgin Atlantic, will be boosting capacity in the US-UK market by 15% next summer. Both carriers will be increasing capacity on routes between New York, Boston, Los Angeles, Seattle, and London, as well as launching an all-new route to London's second busiest airport, Gatwick. Both Delta and Virgin Atlantic are expected to increase by 10,000 weekly seats its capacity between the two countries. Read more
- Police costs for Gatwick drone fiasco double to nearly £900k - and still no one's been charged - The Register 16.08.19
So far police in Sussex, where the "London" airport is situated, have splurged an eye-watering £886,210 on trying to track down whoever shut down the UK's second busiest airport in December. Read more
- Gatwick office becomes the official CAA Headquarters - Civil Aviation Authority 19.08.19
Following the relocation of our central London office from Holborn to Canary Wharf, our official corporate headquarters is now Aviation House located just outside of Gatwick Airport. The official registered address is Aviation House, Beehive Ring Road, Crawley, West Sussex RH6 0YR. Read more
- Gatwick seeks passenger representatives - Passenger Terminal Today 19.08.19
London Gatwick Airport's Passenger Advisory Group is recruiting new members to represent the views of passengers. Read more
- Airport plans would 'wreck climate effort' - The Argus 19.08.19
Gatwick Airport expansion plans would "make a mockery" of efforts to fight climate change, a campaign group claims. The proposal to widen an existing standby runway and bring it into regular use would "wipe out" the efforts of Sussex communities to combat climate change, say members of the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) Sussex. In a statement, the organisation highlighted the fact the majority of councils in the county, including Brighton and Hove City Council, have declared a state of climate emergency. This involves pledging to cut carbon emissions. But the group says these efforts would be futile if Gatwick Airport were to run additional flights. Read more
- Gatwick plans could increase CO2 by 1m tonnes per year - The Argus 20.08.19
Earlier this month, Gatwick Airport Ltd unveiled its proposed master plan to use its backup runway for routine flights, increasing departures to 70 planes every hour. But the Aviation Environment Federation (AEF) campaign group said the plan would cause annual carbon dioxide emissions to increase by an extra 930,000 tonnes. Read more
- Keeping Gatwick ahead of the curve with state-of-the-art technology - International Airport Review 22.08.19
Embracing innovation has been a key factor to Gatwick Airport's recent successes and to a large extent it has been cutting-edge technology and bespoke systems that have seen the airport transform its passenger experience. Read more
- AAIB Investigation Outcome: Vehicle Incursion of Runway Occupied By Aircraft, London Gatwick Airport, 3 February 2018 - 22.08.19
The Government's Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) yesterday issued its report into an airside vehicle carrying out a runway inspection which was cleared onto the active runway ahead of an aircraft decelerating after landing. The investigation identified shortcomings in runway inspection procedures and the management of the internal review conducted after the incident. This investigation indicates that the pressure of meeting the operating targets has had a direct effect on undertaking runway inspections both safely and effectively. One Safety Recommendation is made. Read more
OTHER
- Gatwick Diamond Economic Summit - Platinum Publishing 30.07.19
At the event chaired by Victoria Kerton, Regional Director at NatWest, 165 business leaders and influencers gathered to focus on the opportunity presented by new commercial employment land identified within council Local Plans. In the keynote video speech from the CEO of Gatwick, Stewart Wingate explained how Vinci, the new owners of the airport with a 50.01% share, would continue to invest in infrastructure and engage with businesses and stakeholders ensuring that its passenger growth would continue to benefit the local economy. Read More
- New aviation college set to open in Bromley - The Engineer 31.07.19
London South East Colleges is set to build a brand new aviation college in Bromley after the local council gave the plans the green light. Located at London Biggin Hill Airport in the south-west of the borough, the college will aim to address the growing skills shortage and increasing need for aviation and aerospace engineers in London and the south-east. The Greater London Authority (GLA) is also backing the plans, contributing a £6.2m grant from its Skills for Londoners FE Capital Investment Fund. Read more
- Coast to Capital is seeking to appoint a business representative member to its Skills 360˚ Board - Coast to Capital 09.08.19
The Skills 360˚ Board provides strategic direction and delivers the 'Create Skills for the Future' priority actions included in Gatwick 360 to boost the productivity of our economy by giving people the skills they need to secure and maintain high quality jobs. Members of the Skills 360 Board identify the major skills and recruitment challenges faced by the region and identify solutions, including investment to deliver high quality skills education and training. There is a vacancy for one business sector representative. Read more
- Griffiths to address Aviation Club - Business travel News 12.08.19
The life and times of one of the world's aviation hotspots are on the agenda at the Aviation Club lunch on Thursday 19 September at the Institute of Directors in London, when guest speaker will be Dubai Airports CEO Paul Griffith. He joined Dubai Airports as its first CEO in October 2007 with responsibility for the operation and development of Dubai International and latterly the country's second airport, Al Maktoum International, also known as Dubai World Central (DWC). Read more
- Virgin doubles A350 New York frequency - Business travel News 12.08.19
With New York in the Airbus A350 spotlight as Virgin Atlantic moves to be first on the route with its new aircraft on 10 September (BTN last week), the airline is now planning to boost the service with a second A350 two weeks later. Announcing initial plans for the aircraft earlier this year, Virgin said it considered LHR-JFK a flagship route and now appears to be thinking of using more of its A350s to serve it rather than putting the aircraft on different destinations. If the second A350 is deployed on 24 September, it means Virgin will be operating 13 flights in each direction every week. Read more
- Another bad week for BA - Business travel News 12.08.19
Another technical meltdown, strike threats and a damning survey from Which? contributed to a bruising period for British Airways last week, overshadowing grandiose plans by the company to welcome the new Airbus A350 to the fleet. The latest systems breakdown saw BA cancel some 100 flights from Heathrow and what it said was "a handful" from Gatwick and London City. Other flights suffered long delays and at least 16,000 passengers were thought to have been affected. Read more
- COMMENT: Who is flying the flag? - Business travel News 12.08.19
What has happened to British Airways? Yet another tech failure last week, talk of unhappy staff and strikes, plus a damning new Which? survey on Saturday. Read more
- Shapps hints at Heathrow expansion doubts - Buying Business Travel 14.08.19
New transport secretary Grant Shapps has hinted that the government could consider a U-turn on plans to build a third runway at Heathrow. Speaking to Sky News, Shapps reiterated that Parliament voted in favour of Heathrow expansion as a means of increasing air travel capacity in the South East, but pointed out that prime minister Boris Johnson was "obviously and famously so against" the scheme back when he was elected as the MP for Uxbridge and South Ruislip. However, Shapps added that "there are questions about whether the whole plan stacks up". He said: "This is privately funded. They're going to need to make sure they bring in enough income to justify the billions of pounds spent on it. That's something that we'll be taking a really, really close look at - I certainly will as the new transport secretary." Read more
- Grant Shapps questions whether Heathrow third runway plan 'stacks up' - City A.M. 14.08.19
Shapps said he would be watching court cases lodged against local councils and campaigners who are concerned about the impact of noise, pollution and climate change. "I'll be having a really close look at whether figures stack up or whether building more capacity, another runway there, would add to the charges to such an extent that it doesn't," he said. Read more
- Heathrow expansion appeals to be live streamed in October - This is Local London 14.08.19
All legal cases that are challenging the Governments support for the expansion Heathrow Airport will be streamed over six days from October 17. Paul Beckford, Policy Director of the No 3rd Runway Coalition, the leading campaign organisation opposing the expansion of Heathrow, said: "This is excellent news for transparency. Read more
- AEF releases guidance on aviation planning - Aviation Environment Federation 14.08.19
AEF has today published the next in a series of guides aimed at explaining how aviation's environmental impacts are addressed and managed. Understanding aviation-related planning explains the role of the UK planning system in controlling development at airports and airfields, and how planning conditions have been used to limit the impact of operations. Read more
- APD: Industry should 'stop bleating about carbon tax' - Travel Weekly 15.08.19
That is the view of Tim Williamson, Director of Marketing at Responsible Travel, who dismisses well-publicised industry moves to cut single-use plastic as "tokenism". Williamson will address ABTA's Travel Convention in Tokyo in October when he will issue a call to action on global warming, warning "We have 10 years to limit warming to 1.5 degrees." Read more
- Research reveals public's challenge for industry to deliver sustainable flying - NATS 15.08.19
Improving aviation's impact on the environment is a pressing and growing concern for the flying public, according to NATS' annual study of attitudes to flying. Read more
- What will be the impact of the UK ambition of "Net Zero" on the Airports NPS? - Airport Watch 18.08.19
Lawyers BDB Pitmans, for whom airport planning is an area of work, have commented on the change by the UK to a net zero carbon target by 2050 - and its effect on the aviation sector. They say the 1990 baseline was 778 million tonnes of CO2. With the 80% cut target, until 27th June, the UK had to cut CO2 emissions to 155.6 million tonnes by 2050. It now has to be reduced to 0 tonnes. Read more
- Four UK airports threaten to ban passengers boarding flights after drinking in huge crackdown - Birmingham Live 18.08.19
East Midlands, Stansted, Manchester and Heathrow have introduced schemes to stamp out disruptive behaviour fueled by alcohol. The four major transport hubs have all introduced Pubwatch and Best Bar None measures. Read more
- Evan Davis "The Bottom Line" programme on aviation industry CO2 - basically "there is no plan"… - Airport Watch 19.08.19
His interview is revealing, in making clear how empty the industry's claims of reducing its CO2 in future really are. Sector representatives admit it has broken its own pledges to grow carbon neutrally and lacks firm plans to achieve it by 2050. Read more
- Is 2019 the year flying became uncool? - China Dialogue 19.08.19
Campaigner Greta Thunberg and activists Extinction Rebellion have focused attention on aviation's climate impacts, and a small but growing trend is taking hold. Read more
- Is air pollution causing mental health conditions like depression? - New Scientist 20.08.19
A study published today adds to evidence that air pollution may be linked to mental health conditions. But it's not clear yet how - and if - pollution may be affecting our brains. Read more
- BA partner plans to develop Europe's first waste-to-fuel plant - Air Transport World 20.08.19
British Airways has taken a step toward powering its future fleet with sustainable jet fuel after its renewable fuels partner Velocys applied to develop Europe's first plant for turning household and commercial solid waste into sustainable fuel. Altalto Immingham Ltd., a subsidiary of renewable fuels company Velocys, which works with British Airways and Shell, has submitted a planning application to develop a site in Immingham, North East Lincolnshire into a plant that would convert over half-a-million tonnes each year of non-recyclable everyday household and commercial solid waste destined for landfill or incineration into cleaner burning sustainable jet fuel. The plant could transform items such as meal packaging, napkins and takeaway coffee cups, using technology that British Airways, part of International Airlines Group (IAG), said would reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 70% for every tonne of sustainable jet fuel that replaces a tonne of conventional fossil fuel. Read more
- UK's first commercial waste to aviation fuel plant proposed - Air Quality News 20.08.19
The proposed plant near Grimsby would take hundreds of thousands of tonnes of household and commercial solid waste destined for landfill or incineration and turn it into clean-burning sustainable aviation fuel, which is claimed would reduce net greenhouse gases by 70% compared to the fossil fuel equivalent Read more
- Luton airport to gain express rail link with London - Travel Weekly 21.08.19
Luton airport will gain a frequent fast link with London as part of a £600 million package of rail improvements. The upgraded rail connection is due to start by December 2020 with fast trains between London St Pancras and Luton airport Parkway station every 30 minutes. Read more.
- Qantas to test ultra-long haul flights - Buying Business Travel 22.08.19
Qantas is planning to operate three ultra long-haul research flights as part of 'Project Sunrise' to gather data about in-flight crew and passenger health and wellbeing. The airline is hoping to eventually launch direct flights from the east coast of Australia (Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne) to London and New York. People in the cabin, which will be mostly Qantas employees, will be fitted with wearable technology and take part in specific experiences at varying stages of the approximately 19-hour flights. Read more
GAL Press Releases Events & Updates
Gatwick's Passenger Advisory Group is recruiting new members to represent the views of passengers - 16/08/2019
Passenger Advisory Group (PAG) represents views and makes recommendations on all aspects of the airport's passenger services and facilities
PAG is a subgroup of GATCOM - the airport's independent consultative committee
Candidates should have a passion for customer service
Gatwick Airport is looking to recruit new members to join GATCOM's Passenger Advisory Group to feedback and make recommendations on all aspects of the airport's passenger experience.
GATCOM's Passenger Advisory Group which has 16 members who volunteer at least 12 days per year, monitors facilities and services at the airport as well as helping with the continuous improvement in customer service, which is a vital part of Gatwick's commitment to its passengers.
PAG is a subgroup of GATCOM, the independent consultative group within which the management of Gatwick interacts with airlines, local public agencies, local business and resident groups.
Candidates for the role should have the commitment and enthusiasm to volunteer their time and bring to the group the knowledge and experience they have gained from their professional and personal life. For example, candidates might be regular travellers or have a genuine interest in the way airports function.
PAG is especially keen to speak to people with a passion for customer service, including those with young children, who live within an hour's journey time of Gatwick. The group is focused on promoting equal opportunities and diversity to truly represent the passenger profile at Gatwick.
Gatwick's passenger satisfaction scores continue to remain high, with the airport handling over 46 million annual passengers.
Gatwick Airport's Passenger Communications Manager, Julie Ayres, said:
"Many improvements we make as an airport are based on feedback from our passengers, so it is important that any new volunteer has a real passion for helping us deliver a first-class passenger service.
"Gatwick has recently announced its latest five-year £1.11bn Capital Investment Programme and the work PAG does will help shape this investment as we continually review and improve our plans."
The Chairman of PAG, Peter Hall said:
"Our volunteer members help to improve the passenger experience at Gatwick by expressing views on planned service improvements in areas such as check-in, wayfinding signage, departure lounge facilities and the needs of passengers with reduced mobility and families with young children. They are also involved in plans to implement new technology to enhance the passenger experience.
"For someone who's passionate about customer service this is a great opportunity to really make a difference for Gatwick's passengers."
For more information on the available position, please contact Paula Street, Assistant Secretary, GATCOM, County Hall, Chichester, West Sussex PO19 1RQ, e-mail secretary@gatcom.org.uk or telephone 033022 22543.
The deadline for applications is 13 September 2019.
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Gatwick encourages local community groups and projects in Sussex, Surrey and Kent to apply for funding - 14/08/2019
• 20 community projects benefitted in latest round of £300,000 annual funding
• Initiatives support the elderly, young and vulnerable
• Applications wanted for next rounds in Sussex, Surrey and Kent
London Gatwick is encouraging local projects and communities in Sussex, Surrey and Kent that help the elderly, young and vulnerable to apply for funding support from the Gatwick Foundation Fund.
The Gatwick Foundation Fund distributes £300,000 annually- £100,000 for each county - in three rounds of funding each year. So far, just under 200 organisations and 90,000 people have benefited from the fund since its inception in 2016. Twenty projects received funding in the latest round (full list in Notes to Editors), including:
New Harmonie (Mid Sussex) which puts on entertainment for the elderly, sick or disabled, such as music workshops. The funding will pay for three music workshops in five different care homes for people with dementia.
Stripey Stork- Rent and Referral Coordinator (Reigate and Banstead) funding will be used towards rental costs and the part-time salary costs for a referral coordinator for a charity which collects new and pre-loved items for babies and children in need.
Involve Kent (Tonbridge and Malling) which looks after those who are disadvantaged, frail and lonely and views these issues as the main causes of ill-health. The project will receive £4,000 from the fund to set up a telephone scheme aiming to reach out to the lonely.
Gatwick has also produced five short films showcasing some of the important work that these projects do to support local people including the Posh Club which holds entertainment events in Brighton, Hastings and London for the elderly.
Alison Addy, Head of Community Engagement, Gatwick Airport said:
"We are delighted to be awarding another round of grants from our Foundation Fund to charities and projects across the region.
"The Gatwick Foundation Fund is designed to share the benefits the airport generates among local people and communities who are most in need, and it complements the many other economic contributions that Gatwick brings to the region. We hold three rounds of funding each year and we welcome applications from all projects that support families, the elderly, young and vulnerable."
Charlotte Osborn-Forde, Chief Executive Officer, Involve Kent said:
"We are delighted to receive this funding from the Gatwick Foundation which meets a really important need in the community. Working alongside local health services such as GPs, it became clear to us that there is a real gap for older people who are very isolated or housebound. We came across people with really low confidence, feeling lonely and not ready to come out and join a local group. Our new project funding by the Foundation will recruit local volunteers to work from our base in Tonbridge High Street, to make regular friendly telephone calls to people who have no one else to chat to, and don't have the confidence to meet face to face, to reach out to them and help them re-connect. This grant enables us to initiate this work; recruit the volunteers, train and support them to reach the most isolated and lonely older people in the area."
To apply for funding please look at the website for county's Community Fund: Sussex, Surrey and Kent.
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How to inspire the next generation of engineers at Gatwick? - 13/08/2019
- Gatwick launching a three-year partnership in twenty local schools to engage pupils with engineering and promote career pathways and employability
- Teachers will also be trained on how to bring engineering to life in the classroom and in the school curriculum
- Airport to host the winners of the UK-wide 'If you were an engineer, what would you do' competition in an exhibition in the South Terminal
As kids start thinking about returning to school, Gatwick is launching a three-year schools programme to get kids thinking about engineering.
The programme will involve 15 primary schools and five local secondary schools near to Gatwick and - as part of their continued professional development - the teachers will be offered opportunities to learn new techniques that bring engineering-related projects to life in the classroom and in the school curriculum.
Engineers from Gatwick will also visit the schools and arrange airport tours to build interest and connections between local young people and engineers in the field.
To deliver the programme, Gatwick is partnering with Primary Engineer and Secondary Engineer - a not for profit educational organisation that aims to improve primary and secondary school pupils' skills, awareness of engineering and potential career pathways through teacher training, whole class projects and provides a mechanism for close collaboration with pupils, educators, industry and parents.
Gatwick's Head Engineer, Antony Yates, said: "Inspiring the next generation of engineers is vital for Gatwick Airport and thousands of other businesses up and down the country. "Our aim is to make engineering interesting to all, irrespective of gender or socio-economic background. Ultimately we want to make sure that we have a pipeline of young local engineering talent that can come and keep the airport, our partners and our supply chains running in the years ahead"
The UK Government says that over 200,000 new engineers are required per year to meet the demands of modern society.
To launch the programme - and inspire young people - Gatwick has joined with Facebook and Network Rail as national partners in the 'If you were an Engineer, what would you do' competition. Primary Engineer runs the competition which encourages pupils to design engineering solutions to problems they have identified.
Over 49,000 children from across the UK entered the competition in 2018/19 - 50% of them female. A giant advertising hoarding called "The Wall of Fame" will showcase designs from around the UK which have been brought to life by engineers at supporting universities.
The exhibition will be on display in the South Terminal for three weeks from 13th August enabling Gatwick's 125,000 plus daily visitors to vote for their favourite creation.
On display will be two winners from the South East including Maisie, from Rowan Preparatory School, Claygate, Surrey, who designed The Bicycle Sucker to suck water up from a well in water-deprived areas using the mechanics of the bike as power. Isabelle from Wonersh and Shamley Green C of E Primary School in Guildford will also show her design for a The Super Hearing Set, a hearing device which allows the user to hear certain sources of sound.
Other prototypes that will be at the airport include a Flat pack wind Turbine' to be used in refugee camps and disaster situations. The Turbine was designed by Doulas from Edinburgh when he was 15 years old. A prototype of a Jacket to support sufferers of Spinal Muscular Atrophy enabling greater mobility and physical support will also be on display. Krystyna from Burnely was 14 when she designed the jacket.
Dr. Susan Scurlock, MBE, founder of Primary Engineer said: "This exhibition at one of the most important travel hubs in the UK is testament to the commitment of our partner organisations who rely on a variety of engineering professionals to keep ahead of the game. Each year I am astounded by the designs by pupils, some as young as three as they realise that they can be part of a career that can literally shape the future of the world."
