Blow to Coventry Airport Expansion

February 24, 2004

Blow to Airport Expansion 
icBirmingham.co.uk, UK
  
Birmingham has upped the stakes in the Midland air war
by declaring its opposition to the expansion of
Coventry Airport.

Directors at Birmingham International Airport have
lodged a formal objection to a planning proposal for a
new terminal at the Coventry site.

And yesterday the city's ruling cabinet threw its
weight behind BIA, saying Coventry's plans would
seriously threaten plans for expansion at Birmingham.

Their concerns came just a day after Birmingham
Chamber of Commerce expressed worries about Europe's
largest travel operator, German travel giant TUI,
buying Coventry Airport last week.

The expansion of the complex is crucial to TUI's plans
for a low cost service, flying to 11 European
destinations from the airport, through its budget
airline Thomsonfly.com.

The flights are due to start on March 31. Formal
objections will be heard by Warwick District Council
the following day. A refusal by planners could raise
serious questions over the viability of the operation.

At yesterday's cabinet meeting, councillors voiced
their concerns about the potential damage to BIA's
expansion, in line with the Government White Paper on
air travel which was published in December.

Coun Muhammad Afzal (Lab Aston), who is also a
director at BIA, said: "I think it is in our interest
to take a position on the planning application because
if it goes ahead it will restrict the capacity at
Birmingham airport."

After the meeting, he added: "There is a clash of the
flightpaths so I think the Civil Aviation Authority
will have to look into it. It is also a bit unfair
that we are a leading airport and we could have our
expansion put at risk by a small local airport."

Coun John Tyrrell (Lab Sandwell), said: "I think the
proposals at Coventry could have a knock-on effect
because, considering its position, it could have have
an impact on the operations at Birmingham
International Airport."

David Bull, the council's head of transportation
strategy, said: "What I think we must do is look at
the local expansion of Coventry Airport and make sure
it does not hinder the expansion of Birmingham as a
regional airport."

The cabinet agreed that officers should "investigate
the proposals to the development at Coventry Airport
to ensure as far as possible that operations at
Birmingham International Airport are not hindered by
such proposal".

BIA last month said there were airspace capacity
issues that need to be resolved before any expansion
at Coventry is approved.

In a formal objection to Warwick District Council,
officials called for the CAA to review these issues
before planning permission is granted.

A spokeswoman said: "BIA has objected to any
development taking place at Coventry Airport until the
Civil Aviation Authority has carried out a review of
the Midlands' airspace.

"The Government recommended that this should take
place due to the close proximity of Coventry and
Birmingham airports and we think it would be premature
to go ahead with any development at Coventry until the
review has taken place."

A spokesman for the Civil Aviation Authority said they
had not received an objection about the expansion
plans.
 

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