§ Mrs. DunwoodyTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) if he will list the occasions in the last five years where twin-engined transport aircraft have made single-engined approaches to Heathrow; [85846]
(2) if he will list the number of incidents in the last five years in which aircraft have flown over central London with one engine inoperative intending to land at Heathrow. [85886]
§ Ms Glenda JacksonThe Civil Aviation Authority has received 24 reports relating to transport aircraft approaching Heathrow airport with one engine inoperative in the last five years. Nine of these reports related to twin engined aircraft. It is not possible to deteottine which, if any, of these incidents involved flights over central London as approaches are also made from the west.
The dates on which the incident involving twin engined aircraft occurred, together with the aircraft types involved, are as follows:
Date Aircraft type 22 September 1994 B757 25 January 1995 B737 1 November 1996 B737 24 November 1996 B737 5 July 1997 A310 26 August 1997 B757 15 May 1998 A321 9 July 1998 A300 20 January 1999 A310
§ Mrs. DunwoodyTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what assessment he has made of trends in the number of aircraft near-misses in the last year; and what action has been initiated to check the efficiency of the air traffic control system.[85847]
§ Ms Glenda JacksonAll reported airprox incidents are fully investigated by the independent UK Airprox Board (UKAB). In 1998, UKAB investigated 202 airprox incidents, a figure slightly lower than at any time in the past decade, despite significant increases in traffic over that period. Of these, only 7 were assessed as being risk-bearing and attributable to National Air Traffic Services (NATS). This is the lowest figure in the 1990s despite record traffic levels. However, there is no cause for complacency and Ministers and NATS continue to ensure that the highest priority is given to maintaining and, where practicable, improving on the UK's outstanding safety record.
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