Forum Topic

120,000 extra flights a year at Heathrow

Frightening article in the Independent about increasing  the number of flights through Heathrow by a quarter (25 percent): It writes:"Heathrow's capacity problems could be solved without the need for a new runway, as strict rules on take-offs and landings are eased from next month.The "silver bullet" solution to the airport's congestion crisis could unlock up to 25 per cent more slots with no extra building. Introducing so-called "mixed mode" flying – under which runways are used for both take-offs and landings at the same time – could allow 120,000 extra aircraft movements each year at Europe's busiest airport.This would call into question the need for either a third runway or an entirely new airport in the Thames Estuary. New rules coming into force on 1 July will increase the number of circumstances in which simultaneous runway use is permitted. Heathrow says this will not for now lead to a net increase in slots, but it is under pressure from the airline industry to extend the scheme to allow more take-offs and landings. The fact that the Department for Transport has agreed to tinker with long-standing rules against "mixed mode" indicates they may be willing to overrule local residents' objections.

Annabelle McKinnon ● 5040d6 Comments

JAF wrote: "our air quality for NOx and SOx etc. has decreased markedly over the past few years due to air flights"There is concrete and paint that can be used to reduce NOx, which could go some way in alleviating the problem.See: http://www.treehugger.com/sustainable-product-design/air-purifying-road-surface-eats-45-of-nox-pollution.htmlAnd: http://inhabitat.com/chicago-unveils-the-greenest-street-in-america-with-permeable-smog-eating-pavement/ - this is also interesting for how it deals with heavy rain, to reduce flooding.And: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-15694973

D Fox ● 4922d

Boris frankly scares me, however his idea (or his backing of the idea) of an Estuary Airport in the Thames Estuary serving London from the East has great merit in my opinion. The only airport that can really be considered to be "in London" is the London City Airport, and that is constrained by runway length to shorter planes. Heathrow is at the extremes of Greater London and  Gatwick definitely cannot be considered to be is London, nor can Stanstead or Luton airport for that matter.Growing Heathrow will only increase health and pollution issues in West London and unless we leave the EU this alone will become a matter for scrutiny by the European Courts so I cannot see the logic in growing Heathrow further. As to the business case, well if you run ten amps through a ten amp cable nothing bad will happen, however if you run 20 amps through a ten amp cable it will melt down! West London is at capacity from many respects and the impact of doubling throughput through Heathrow will have that effect.

John Arthur Forest ● 4923d

Don't these people ever give up: the third runway rears its ugly head again in this weeks Ealing Today. Why don't we take the government and BAA (who I think own Heathrow) as well as the airlines to court over the pollution impact that the increased air traffic has already had over West London (our air quality for NOx and SOx etc. has decreased markedly over the past few years due to air flights) under EU anti-pollution laws to either reduce the amount of traffic or user cleaner aircraft technologies?

John Arthur Forest ● 4923d

Are you suggesting the piecework system the more you process the more you earn. I maybe old school but should you not be happy to be employed? It shouldn’t matter how much work you do within your eight hour shift that’s what you get paid for. I would imagine there are loads of people willing to do this job whether they process 1 person or a hundred in a day.

Tony Maxey ● 5025d

120,000 flights will bring IN -300 passengers pef flight .The total numbers each year would Total to 36 Million arrivals a Year. or 3 million a month. If the bulk of the Traffic arrive during The Olymic Summer or Christmas,The staff of Passport Control will justifiably ask for More money to cope. I wondr what the days ahead will bring.?

Os A Whittle ● 5026d

By my calculations that is 60,000 extra flights dumping aerosolised human waste over West London before they come in to land (Oh, and a few more chunks of "blue ice" dropping through peoples own roofs) -- and that is before we get the clandestinely proposed and recently resurrected Third Runway that central goverment is trying to foist on us again.

Jon F. Doctor ● 5028d