Air Traffic Congestion (Hansard, 15 July 1988)

§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Transport (Lord Brabazon of Tara)
My Lords, my right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Transport has asked the Civil Aviation Authority for advice by the end of November on strategies for making good use of airspace until the full benefits of the authority's reorganisation of the London control area become available in 1995.
Current delays being experienced by flights from the UK are due in large part to restrictions imposed by air traffic control services in other European countries. The CAA is working urgently with other European authorities to improve communication and co-ordination between air traffic control services.

Lord Campbell of Croy
My Lords. I am grateful to my noble friend for that full reply. While sympathising greatly with those whose holiday are being spoilt at present, may I ask my noble friend why scheduled domestic flights between London and Scotland. in perfect weather conditions, should be held up by air traffic control? Do not flights to Greece, for example, when they are delayed, make more space and slots available for domestic flights?

§ Lord Brabazon of Tara
My Lords, any such delays are due to the general balancing of demand for air traffic flow management purposes within the United Kingdom air traffic control system. I would point out to my noble friend that, for example, on Friday a fortnight ago Heathrow had its busiest ever day with over 1.000 air traffic movements.

§ Lord Underhill
My Lords, will the noble Lord accept that we appreciate his comments to the Eurocontrol commission and his Written Answer on 11th November? Can he give some assurance that the early inquiry requested from the CAA will not be confined to the five options which they presented to the House of Commons Select Committee on Transport, but will take in the question of scheduled flights and charter flights? Further, can the Minister say what is the position with respect to Spain, which is not a member of Eurocontrol?

§ Lord Brabazon of Tara
My Lords, we have asked the CAA to look into what can be done in the short term before we go on to consider the long-term problems. As I said, we hope to receive a report by 1016 November which will cover the issues which the noble Lord has raised. So far as concerns Spain, she is an associate member of Eurocontrol but not a full member. However, Spain attends the meetings. I very much hope that Spain would wish to join Eurocontrol as a full member. One of the problems in Spain has concerned industrial relations, over which we can have no control whatsoever.

§ Lord Boyd-Carpenter
My Lords, could there not be some alleviation of the suffering being imposed on air travellers this summer— caused partly, as my noble friend has said, as a result of the tiresomeness of European air traffic controllers—by relaxing night landing restrictions? At Heathrow and Gatwick night landing restrictions could be relaxed to permit the landing of delayed flights whose scheduled time of arrival was in the daytime.

§ Lord Brabazon of Tara
My Lords, earlier this year we brought in a new regime for night flights at both Heathrow and Gatwick. Over the next five years at Gatwick—where the problem is greatest—we are planning an increase of 20 per cent. in the night flights allowed. That would be at the expense of the noisier aircraft and to the benefit of the quieter ones. There are means whereby delays caused by particular difficulties such as the Greek problem can he alleviated by allowing night landings or take-offs. That is what is happening at the moment.

§ Lord Harvey of Prestbury
My Lords, I appreciate that the Government are doing what they can in this very difficult matter. However, does the Minister not agree that the trouble lies in Brussels, which interferes in other matters such as the takeover of Rover Group? Could not this fairly simple matter be resolved if the countries in Europe got together and ironed it out once and for all?

§ Lord Brabazon of Tara
My Lords. I agree with my noble friend. Eurocontrol was set up 25 years ago to deal with that kind of problem. I must say that over the first 25 years it has not had any great success. As president of Eurocontrol, I pressed at the meeting a couple of weeks ago for much greater co-ordination, much greater pooling of plans, and investigation in the short term of ways in which congestion could be relieved. I have asked for a report on that by the next meeting in November.

§ Lord Monson
My Lords, will the noble Lord agree that to relieve pressure on the congested air space over South-East England there is much to be said for developing Bristol Airport to handle transatlantic traffic? Would that not be sensible, given its excellent road and rail links with London and the rest of England and hearing in mind the strong family and other links that many North Americans have with the West Country?

§ Lord Brabazon of Tara
My Lords, we have done a great deal over the years to encourage the use of regional airports. However, regarding the current problems, the delays are just as bad at Manchester, Birmingham, Newcastle or anywhere else in the country.

§ Lord John-Mackie
My Lords, why not develop Stansted as an airport for the use of Scottish flights and then improve the end of the M11 into the centre of London? Would that not solve a lot of the problems of the noble Lord, Lord Campbell?

§ Lord Brabazon of Tara
My Lords, Stansted is being developed at the moment, and the first stage of the development will be complete by 1991. It will then be able to handle 8 million passengers a year and there will be a new fast rail link into Liverpool Street. So far as concerns the M11, that is a slightly different question. There is nothing to stop planes from Scotland using Stansted either now or when it is fully developed. However, it will still he within the London terminal manoeuvring area and possibly subject to delays as a result.

Lord Campbell of Croy
My Lords, does my noble friend's reference to the very large number of flights at Heathrow last Friday indicate that there may now be too many flights, both scheduled and chartered, for the traffic control system as it is at present?

§ Lord Brabazon of Tara
My Lords, that is the problem. That is why this flow control has had to be introduced. The main reason for it is safety, so that there should not he more than the number of planes that can safely be handled in any given sector. Over the slightly longer period we shall be getting a new air traffic control system which will give a 30 per cent. increase in capacity by 1995.

§ Lord Strabolgi
My Lords, does the Minister have any news about the new computer which seems to be so long delayed?

§ Lord Brabazon of Tara
My Lords, I am not sure to which computer the noble Lord refers, but if it is the central control function that I have just mentioned, which will be coming fully into operation in 1995. it will give a 30 per cent. increase in capacity in the London terminal manoeuvring area. There are other plans for the other different computers. The NATS has a programme of investment of £200 million over the next few years. All that should help the situation.