CHAMELEON HEATHROW
PRESS RELEASE
1 April 2022
For immediate use
HEATHROW TO POWER PLANES USING ANIMAL WASTE
AIRPORT SPOKESPERSON SAYS: “THIS IS A BREAKTHROUGH IN OUR MISSION FOR GREEN FLIGHT”.
Heathrow’s desperate attempt to appear environmentally friendly as part of a wider effort to keep its 3rd runway project alive saw the airport announce this morning that it will power all planes using a 3rd runway with fuels derived from animal waste. This, the airport argues, is even lower carbon and better for the planet than Sustainable Aviation Fuels. Research is being carried out into the potential for animal waste, including effluent from UK pig farming, to be made into alternative jet fuels (1). This will make the phrase “pigs can fly” true to its word.
CHAMELEON HEATHROW
One animal that Heathrow’s behaviour truly resembles is that of a chameleon.
The Airport have sought to use the EU referendum, its result and now the pandemic to its advantage by arguing that each of these events acted as crucial evidence that their airport needs to expand.
Before the 2016 EU referendum, the airport said, “Heathrow believes that the UK will be better off remaining in a reformed EU” and “A vote to remain offers the best of both worlds” (2).
Upon the country voting to leave the EU, Heathrow said that “Now Britain needs a positive post-Brexit plan and only Heathrow expansion will help Britain to be one of the world’s leading trading nations - connecting all of Britain to global growth” (3).
Now, in 2022, they argue that the pandemic is evidence they need to expand: “While we have paused work to expand Heathrow during Covid-19, the crisis has shown the pent-up demand from airlines to fly from Heathrow, as well as how critical Heathrow is for UK’s trade routes and the risk to the economy of Britain relying on EU hubs which can close borders overnight" (4).
Heathrow published their 2021 accounts recently (5) and they complained of a 50-year low in the number of passengers using their airport. Yet the airport, somewhat bizarrely, claimed that this was evidence of the need for expansion, as there was significant ‘pent-up demand’ to travel. This is despite demand already some 23% below expectations so far in 2022 (6).
This news came on the same day that one national newspaper reported on its front page that Heathrow were responsible for 5,000 ‘ghost’ flights – empty flights that airlines use to retain precious Heathrow slots – in the first 18 months of the pandemic (7).
Only this week, a scheme to expand Heathrow was being revitalised. Arora Hotels Limited, which still destructs almost as many homes at Heathrow’s scheme (8).
Heathrow’s ability to finance a 3rd runway is undermined by its £14bn debt. In October 2021, its majority shareholder stated its reluctance to inject further capital into the Airport as it was not obtaining a sufficient return on its investment (9).
Geraldine Nicholson from local campaign group Stop Heathrow Expansion, said:
“We are unsurprised. Just as a chameleon changes its colours to suit its circumstances, Heathrow claims each time that there is a change in the wider political agenda that it strengthens their case for a third runway. The reality it is now harder than ever to deliver.
“Communities around Heathrow are sick to the back teeth of the never-ending threat hanging over them. We need the kind of certainty that can be brought about by cancellation of this project, based on the airport’s precarious financial position, not to mention their ability to meet much stricter environmental legislation than when the plan was put to Parliament in 2018.
“Another decade cannot be lost trying to build a third runway when the reality is that it is even less likely than ever before to take off.”
ENDS.
Notes:
Turning organic waste into aviation fuel https://www.sacyr.com/en/-/convertir-la-basura-organica-en-combustible-para-aviones
Heathrow better off in a reformed EU, says CEO (24 Feb 2016) https://www.mylondon.news/news/west-london-news/uk-better-eu-warns-heathrow-10939555
Heathrow says expansion more important than ever after EU vote (22 Jul 2016) https://www.reuters.com/article/us-britain-eu-heathrow-idUSKCN1020KN
Heathrow says pandemic strengthens case for expansion (23 Feb 2022) https://www.newcivilengineer.com/latest/heathrow-claims-pandemic-strengthens-case-for-expansion-23-02-2022/
Heathrow 2021 accounts (23 Feb 2022) https://www.heathrow.com/content/dam/heathrow/web/common/documents/company/investor/reports-and-presentations/financial-results/2021/Heathrow_(SP)_Limited_Q4_2021_results%20release_final.pdf
Demand in early 2022 23% lower than anticipated https://www.heathrow.com/content/dam/heathrow/web/common/documents/company/investor/reports-and-presentations/financial-results/2021/Heathrow_(SP)_Limited_Q4_2021_results%20release_final.pdf
Ghost flights at Heathrow (31 Mar 2022) https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/mar/31/ghost-flights-from-uk-running-at-500-a-month-data-reveals
Arora revives bid for 3rd runway (27 Mar 2022) https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2022/03/27/ex-baggage-handler-revives-bid-rival-heathrows-third-runway/
Death knell for Heathrow’s third runway as Spanish investor cuts off funding (30 Oct 2021) https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2021/10/30/death-knell-heathrows-third-runway-spanish-investor-cuts-funding/