Photosales
niJobfinder
niCarfinder
Home Delivery
Propertynews
Airport bid to remove seat sale cap angers residents
Thursday, 12 November 2009
enlargeEAST Belfast residents have reacted angrily to proposals by George Best Belfast City Airport to remove the limit on the number of people flying in and out of the airport.
Airport chief executive Brian Ambrose has written to Environment Minister Edwin Poots, urging him to remove the cap on seats that can be sold every year on inbound and outbound flights.
However, Belfast City Airport Watch (BCAW), an umbrella group for residents affected by noise from the airport, fears this could see passenger numbers doubled.
And has said that if the move gets the go-ahead it fears the airport could start using larger planes, leading to more aircraft noise over east Belfast homes.
Fiona McKinley, speaking on behalf of BCAW, said: “The seat for sale cap was in place to encourage the airport to use smaller aircraft, enabling it to cover all its routes.
“It was designed to limit the environmental impact of the airport on the surrounding area.
“If the seat control is removed and the Environment Minister allows the runway extension to go ahead, then we are facing a scenario where people in east and south Belfast will be faced with living beside a major international airport.”
Ms McKinley also said that in seeking the seats for sale restriction to be reviewed, the airport was looking for an amendment to a “Planning Agreement less than 13-months-old”.
But a Belfast City Airport spokesman said: “Under the terms of the 2008 Planning Agreement it was understood that the seats for sale cap would be lifted if the airport installed a noise monitoring system and secondary radar.
“These criteria have now been met and the removal of the seats for sale cap is the next step in this process.
“The Planning Agreement allows for 48,000 flights in and out of the airport each year and we are not seeking to increase this figure (the airport expects to fly 41,000 flights in 2009).
“The Planning Agreement and the removal of the seats for sale cap are not related to our application to extend the runway and our continued public assurances to campaigners that no larger aircraft would use the airfield if the runway extension was granted.”
A spokeswoman for the Department of the Environment said: “A letter has been received from Brian Ambrose seeking the removal of the seats for sale restriction as contained in the 2008 modified Planning Agreement.
“The Planning Service is currently seeking legal advice.”
- Text Size
Yet more rubish from the save Aldergrove group!!
The seats for sale were based on how many passengers could have used the old terminal
Not to reduce noise as BCAW make out ,
This is just a few people scared that the city will do better than Aldergrove
If I was to stand out in the street miles from my home with a pair of head phones on in the middle of the road I think some one would call the men im white coats and send me off to Knockbracken
Posted by sunnyside of the city | 16.11.09, 11:28 GMT
Airports are a good thing, but not at the expensive of peoples health and moral. Having an airport with larger airplanes in a city, close to residential communities just isn't good. I know the airport says they have noise monitors, but try sleeping between 7 and 8am with planes taking off and if the seat cap is removed this is likely to get worse. It was mentioned that capping was to encourage using smaller planes, but with runway extensions and now the requested seat cap removal, this surely indicates change is inevitable regardless of community impact.
This has probably been said before, but what is wrong with using the international airport if flights requiring larger planes? I can’t believe that within the UK there are airports with similar community proximity, plane sizes and volume of traffic, and if so there shouldn’t be.
I hope the people of East and South Belfast will continue to be strongly represented by BCAW and our voices are not drowned by the roar of a jet engine.
Posted by PeterH | 14.11.09, 16:21 GMT