Big news. The Court of Appeal – the second highest court in the land – ruled that, as it stands, Government policy on the proposed 3rd runway at Heathrow is illegal. This is because when drawing up the National Policy Statement on Airports, which is the official document used to give Heathrow permission to draw […]
Boris Johnson, the British Prime Minister whose Conservative Party won an impressive majority in the recent UK General Election, once said he ‘would lie down in front of the bulldozers’ to stop a third runway at Heathrow. He has always been against it. When he was Mayor of London he wanted a new airport to […]
On 26 November, we, a delegation of Amsterdam citizens groups presented their research report Aviation out of balance to the Commission of Infrastructure and Water Management of the House of Representatives in a petition. The conclusion of the study is that Schiphol serves the public interest by de-hubbing the airport. This improves the quality of […]
Geneva airport, like London City airport and probably many other airports, is situated in the middle of living accommodation: it is an urban airport. Its growth over the last decade has had the result that more and more people living around it are complaining more and more strongly. About three years ago the local population […]
The Committee on Climate Change(CCC), the Government’s official advisers, has said in a report out today that growth at UK airports needs to be almost half the predicted levels if aviation is to meet the government’s target of aviation being net-zero carbon by 2050. The CCC, chaired by former Conservation minister Lord Deben, said, “In […]
A round trip flight from Amsterdam to the south of France costs the same as a round trip ticket to the Dutch – nearby – island of Terschelling. How is that possible? Part of the answer can be found in the enormous subsidies that go to the aviation industry. Ties Joosten from the Dutch platform […]
The environmental associations German Federal Agency for the Environment and Nature Conservation (BUND), the German Transport Association (VCD) and the German Association for the Protection of the Environment (DNR) have welcomed the proposal of Federal Environment Minister Svenja Schulze to raise the aviation tax as an urgently overdue step. ‘The particularly climate-damaging air traffic should […]
After 2020, the Dutch government has allowed Schiphol to grow to a maximum of 540 thousand flight movements per year. Growth is only permitted if the aviation sector can demonstrate that the nuisance to the immediate environment is reduced, for example due to quieter and cleaner aircraft. Citizen’s organisations think minister Van Nieuwenhuizen’s proposal to […]
A thorough study among 191 primary school children who live near Schiphol Airport shows that high concentrations of ultra-fine particles from aircraft can effect health seriously. When the wind blows in the ‘wrong’ direction children with respiratory complaints suffer more and use more medication. Complaints include shortness of breath and wheezing. These are the conclusions […]
Because politicians are usually rather reluctant to take unpopular measures, an increasing number of concerned citizens are taking the initiative to save the climate. There are large demonstrations everywhere for the environment and against climate change. This also means less flying. Psychologically, the term flying shame (from the Swedish flygskam) is interesting. Media reports more […]