We need a longer runway
Wednesday 22nd July 2009, 2:30PM BST.
(Picture by Peter Frankland)
GUERNSEY must plan to extend its runway, according to a leading aviation consultant.
But York Aviation found there would be little benefit in increasing its length within the next 10 to 15 years, the Guernsey Press can reveal exclusively today.
The Policy Council commissioned the wide-ranging report late last year as debate continued about work needed to repair the lifeline runway.
At the time, some business leaders and deputies were arguing the case for an extension from its current length of 1,463m to 1,700m.
‘Taking into account the scale of the Guernsey market, we do not consider there is a pressing case for a longer runway than that available currently,’ said the report.
‘We have considered the risks associated with remaining with the existing runway length and consider such risks to be minimal in the short to medium term in the light of the number of small regional jet and turboprop aircraft in manufacture and being acquired by airlines capable of serving Guernsey.’
The report highlights how keen manufacturers were to develop aircraft that could use London City Airport, which has a smaller operational runway length than Guernsey.
Worldwide, York Aviation said, there are currently about 1,700 operational aircraft that could operate from the island.
‘However, while we have considered what is known about future aircraft types and the requirements for access to London and/or other hubs, we cannot be certain that over the longer term there will not be pressure for a longer runway at some date in the future.’
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Would seem as if once again these business people wish for a longer runway,
It also seems as if their appetites for whatever they want does not diminish,
So! If they want all these things let them pay for it, also pay for the extra land and pay dear, pay for the disruption for the neighbours -in fact the whole affair should be paid for by these people who pay less taxes than the average Guernsey man,
It’s about time things altered; if they don’t like it then do as they have said to us “Lump it”
Our so-called politicians are too soft, they allow more and more of Guernsey ways to disappear, STOP IT NOW:
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as with recycling of rubbish, new runway, the user pays
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Well said Eric.
GD
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Yes I agree Eric but cant see that happening unfortunately! but if they are going to extend would it not be better to do it now before the costs go up
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Spot on Eric
And if not they should do it when they have the money to do it. And based on the pay they throw our money away then it will be along time from now.
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The Press headline states “We need a longer runway” then immediately goes on to quote York Aviation saying “there would be little benefit in increasing its length within the next 10 – 15 years. The article concludes that in the longer term we cannot be certain that there may be pressure for a longer run way (may be pressure).
This strongly suggests that even the experts are saying we don’t need a longer runway in the short term and even in the longer term it seems to be sketchy so the headline is rather redundant.
In today’s press (23rd) Deputy Kuttelwascher says that he believes a longer runway is necessary in case Flybe pull out. Surely if Flybe pull out another operator will step in (if the route is profitable) regardless of runway size.
The only thing that a 1700 metre runway will give us is scope for much larger, noisier and more polluting jets giving a more infrequent service than the current smaller aircraft and only then if they can be filled. Added to this is the in-filling of two green valleys.
There seems to be a fixation by some members of the States and business community on jet aircraft and the image they create, when the island can be perfectly well served by turbo-props on the current runway length.
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Not all business people support the extension of the runway. The one good thing about the York report is that it highlights the fact that there are 1700 aircraft types that can land in Guernsey. There is simply no business case to extend the runway, even if we could afford it, which we cannot.
Also, as we look 10 years ahead and consider the likely innovations we are likely to see in telecommunications together with the challenges of global warming, peak oil and environmental issues we have to ask a simple question:- Will be more or less air travel? I suspect we will be flying less whether we like it or not.
One thing the States might consider is scrapping the tourism budget to fund the airport runway extension. After all once they have built this thing and trashed the environment there will be no reason for anyone wanting to come here on holiday….
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I couldn’t agree more, Chris and Sagaman. There is a bewildering misconception that a longer runway somehow spells more income for the island, but it doesn’t stack up… It’s not as if people – tourists, businessmen or anyone else – aren’t coming to the island at the moment because they can’t find an available seat; our current air services don’t exactly operate at capacity. Guernsey is a finite catchment area, and larger carriers who have been approached are simply not interested in servicing the island as we’re just not big enough. They’re falling like flies from Jersey’s routes at the moment, and Jersey has a substantially bigger population. Even Flybe have explicitly stated that they are not calling for a longer runway: their Embraer jet simply needs a better runway surface in order to land here, and no one is disputing that the runway surface needs urgent attention.
As for Deputy Kuttelwascher’s bizarre argument that Flybe might pull out of Guernsey altogether, I can only assume he’s scaremongering to advance his own agenda… it’s a random and unfounded angle to take!
Hopefully the pressures of the current economy will be more forceful than the image fixation that seems to be motivating proponents of a runway extention, and that common sense will prevail over vanity.
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It seems so strange; that old saying about history repeating itself.
Of course on a much larger scale, yet with the same outcome.
If one wishes to read history you will find that at one time a company known as the East India company asked if they could open business in India; they cuddled up tho all those princes, and the ordinary people had no say.
Once they were established they literally took over the whole of India, got rid of all those Prices who helped them.
They took over the running of India,
See any likeness now?
well another happening came about, not satisfied with India, they tried against Afghanistan. But there it ended, but not the way many hundreds, maybe thousands of British soldiers died, and like now and in all wars a soldier is just canon fire.
One day they will realise that they are not the master minds they think they are.
So if the Finance people think I am having a go at them: Then they are BL…. right.
Stop your caterwauling about what you want; not all GUERNSEY people want your Ideas of a Take-over.
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