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Delegation meets Poots over runway expansion
Wednesday, 18 November 2009
A local MLA has led a delegation to Stormont to meet with the Environment Minister Edwin Poots over the proposed runway extension at George Best Belfast City Airport.
Dawn Purvis and her party colleague Councillor John Kyle raised the noise and environmental concerns of their constituents at the meeting.
The length of the existing runway restricts the amount of fuel carried and number of passengers that can travel on some aircrafts. By extending the runway the airport will be able to facilitate the same flights, but allow them to travel to more destinations.
Ms Purvis, who has previously met with Regional Development Minister Conor Murphy on the issue, said: “The residents in the area surrounding the airport have real and growing concerns about the increased noise of George Best Belfast City Airport, a runway extension can only worsen the plight of those residents, some of whom live in social housing with only single glazing.”
She stated that the airport should fully address the current impact it is having on residents “before adding more through a runway extension”.
“My constituency office is regularly besieged by local residents and I decided to take a delegation of those local people directly to the minister so he can hear for himself the issues my constituents face.
“I would like to thank the Minister for taking the time to meet directly with the residents.”
A spokesperson for the Environment Department confirmed a meeting had taken place.
A spokesperson for the airport said: “George Best Belfast City Airport is no different to any other airport in the UK and conforms to all noise regulations as set by Government.
“We regularly discuss issues of noise through the Community Forum.
“The airport operates an open door policy for any one who wishes to discuss any aspect of our operations.”
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Frankie!!
Whats all this about 8000 jets ??
One jet movement at the city counts as 2 movements so with your figure it works out as 4.6 extra planes a day
European tourists dont want to spend ages getting to the city from Aldergrove, In europe they are used to good transport not a tractor filled road and traffic jams, The city offers a train and bus connection.
Aldergrove has lots of bigger jets carrying fuel over our heads as well as the transatlantic stuff that carrys 10 times as much fuel
Also aldergrove does not say no to old eastern eurpoean jets that burn 5 times more fuel than a Molly 737 turbofan and have less than perfect safety records!!
We have to think as East Belfast PLC or we will not make money! Ryanair dont employ many staff but other services the extra passengers do make up for it
Posted by plane spotter | 23.11.09, 11:00 GMT
should the PUP not be off to Stormont to ask for proper insulation for social housing anyway?? It would reduce polution in East belfast if residents did not have to use so much oil etc...
People want to fly in to the city as its close to their homes and workplaces
Tourists plan their journeys well and flying to an airport not in Belfast anyway puts them off visiting
Also the shabby european offerings from Aldergrove do not encourage them to fly here
We need an airline Ryanair to bring them in to the heart of the city
Aerlingus will soon be restucturing and like with BA there will be strikes and who wants to fly with an airline that does that??
And for safety look at other airports and airlines that do it so close to other citys, They obey the rules and keep flight the safest way to travel
Posted by Molly Fan | 20.11.09, 18:28 GMT
Frankie boy!! Good to see you are a wise and informed person!!
Have you read section 5 of the enviroment report ?? Or maybe section 6 where it tells you about the jobs the airport creates??
Its not just Ryanair you know there are other interested partys, And even though Ryanair dont use many staff members , passengers use other airport services
Tourists will ravel to to airport closest to the city if coming from Europe, If they dont fancy a bus journey along country roads to get to the city they will avoid it!! I know i work with these people
And as for all that fuel and big planes Aldergrove fly in the same planes over the city airport and then the transatlantic places way up high over Belfast with 4 times as much fuel, Do you want those banned as well?
And how do you get the 8000 more planes figure?
A jet at the city counts as 2 move movents so work it out your self over the year it would make 5 extra planes a day with your numbers
Posted by plane spotter | 19.11.09, 18:24 GMT
So no one can fly to Northern Ireland from afar if Belfast City Airport don't get their runway extended??? So how are tourists from afar getting into N Ireland now - by flying into Belfast International Airport, 20 miles up the road....
If the runway isn't extended, jobs won't be lost - if it is there will be minimal job creation since Ryanair is the airline wanting it.
Think of the broader picture of Northern ireland plc, not the narrow picture you are painting of an east Belfast where a major international airport is allowed to develop with all the health impacts, safety risks, blight and downright misery for the ordinary east belfast resident trapped below the take off paths of 80 ton jets carrying 20+ thousand litres of flammable jet fuel.
And by the way - an extended runway would result in an increase of 8,000 more flights a year - all using large jets - so noise will definitely not drop - quite the opposite in fact!
Posted by Frank | 19.11.09, 10:29 GMT
in east belfast we could have a international stadium in the old ship yard, a staduim on the holywood road
We could have investment and jobs for all, An airport that would bring in people from all round Europe to see the city a rail link to all of them but what do we have??
MLA'S that throw it all away and blame each other for the fact we have nothing to show
If the runway is not extended and jobs are lost who will we blame?? If no one wants to fly to us from afar we are looking at dark times
The PUP and others want votes and thats all not the best for us
Extend the run way and the noise will drop , Extend the runway and more jobs will come in the airport shops security and hotel
Posted by east belfast always | 18.11.09, 18:26 GMT