RESOURCES-Aviation:UK Carbon Emitters - RTUK Lists compiled for Glasgow Agreement

During our administration of the UK Chapter of Stay-grounded.org it's become starkly apparent that expansion is not just happening at the 8 usual suspect airports generally reported but at many more, currently more than 25. 

There are many ways airports are planning to expand and not just by seeking planning consents to increase passenger numbers, Air Traffic Movements (ATM), or a new runway - but by a combination of methods including not exclusively:-

• Extending the runway or changing its composition=Airport Expansion;

• Increasing the Public Safety (crash) Zone=Airport Expansion;
• Building or extending existing terminals=Airport Expansion;
• Building more aircraft stands and hangars=Airport Expansion;
• Building an industrial estate/warehousing/hotels, increasing the airport's footprint=Airport Expansion;
• Extending vehicle parking and access roadways=Airport Expansion;
• Building a solar park to pretend your airport is carbon neutral by offsetting its ground emissions=Airport Expansion;
• NOT using associated land but offsetting it against emissions, or planting trees on other land=Airport Expansion;
• Extending opening hours=Airport Expansion;
• Negotiating flight increases as part of Airspace Reviews=Airport Expansion;
• Making more use of, or repurposing taxiways=Airport Expansion;
• Publishing a wish-list Airport Master Plan=Airport Expansion;
• Getting aspects of that Plan approved by Local Authorities and/or inserted in Local Plans for future use with Lawful Development Certificates (LDC)=Airport Expansion;
• Pausing existing planning permissions or putting them on hold=Airport Expansion; and even
• Obtaining retrospective planning permission=Airport Expansion!

You may live near a small local airport or airstrip but most regional airports started like that and further such expansion must stop if we are to stand any chance in our climate emergency of pegging average global temperature rises at 1.5degreesC. Ukgov's climate advisors, the Climate Change Committee, allow for no more than 25% growth in aviation passenger numbers on 2018 levels. Yet, expansions in the pipeline would result in more than 3 times this number. Attempting business-as-usual by greenwash offsetting and replacing kerosene with so-called Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF) won't succeed in delivering emissions cuts fast enough or indeed, at all. https://stay-grounded.org/greenwashing/#factsheet . Simply, we need to fly less and stop expansion.

UK airport expansions
There are more than 25 currently proposed UK Airport Expansions and more than 250 private, public and military airports and airstrips in the UK (with around 40 in Republic of Ireland). This resource is a living document in a constantly changing world but we've tried to list those airports expanding and the largest, with passenger numbers and climate/emissions data where available but mostly from 2019, before the Covid19 pandemic hit, as that's the base year we need to measure future growth from - if we fail to stop it, condemning us to a +2degreesC planet. Passenger number figures vary so we've gone for those that best match year ending 2019. For an overview of climate change and aviation more widely, see the UKgov House of Commons Library Briefing paper on Aviation, decarbonisation and climate change.  https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cbp-8826/     CBP-8826 20,  Sep'21.

For Regional Airports in the UK, Scope Emissions are defined thus:-

• Direct emissions (Scope 1)–Emissions from airport-controlled sources (e.g. vehicles/ground support owned by airport, boilers, on-site power generation);
• Indirect emissions (Scope 2) – Emissions from purchased energy (off-site electricity generation for heating, cooling, lighting);
• Indirect emissions (Scope 3) – Emissions from other sources related to the airport (e.g. flights, aircraft ground movements, passenger and staff travel to the airport, waste disposal).

We'll endeavour to update the resource lists but will be relying on your assistance to help us. Please send your updates to info@risingtide.org.uk with "Aviation (or Coal etc.) Update" as the subject.

• LA= Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council.  No CED. No current planning application submitted.
• Owner= VINCI Airports plc
• Passengers:- 2017=5,836,735; 2018=6.2m; 2019=6.3m; Planned capacity=10m; Increase on 2017=4,163,265 (71%) by 2030; planned projected to 10.4m by 2050.
• 2019=#13 total flight emissions of passengers with 0.28 mtCO2, equivalent to yearly emissions from 140,500 cars. Total distance flown by fare-paying passengers 3.28bn kms at 86g CO2 per passenger km.
• 31% Short haul/67% Medium/2%Long. 2019 ATM=47,200.

• LA= Metropolitan Borough of Solihull. No CED. No current planning application submitted
• Owned by 7 metropolitan boroughs of Birmingham (49%), Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan (48.25%) & employee share trust (2.75%).
• May'20 the £500M expansion of Birmingham Airport was paused .
• Passengers:- 2017=12,982,180; 2018=12.4m; 2019=12.6m; Planned capacity=18m; Increase on 2017=5,017,820 (39%) by 2033 planned with £500m investment. Projected to 32.9m!
• Airport HS2 link planned by 2033 to cut journeys to central London from 70 to 38mins.
• 2019 Freight= 0.034m tonnes. Commercial Revenue 2019 m£: Retail & car parking=67.9; Property & operational facilities= 27.4; Total non aeronautical revenue= 95.3; Total aeronautical revenue= 65.5. 
• Flybe ceased trading Apr'21 but ‘Flybe Ltd’ launched with new HQ and crew base with “operations scheduled to begin in early 2022.” https://p1ainaz1aukwstore.z35.web.core.windows.net/Flybe_announces_new_Birmingham_Headquarters_and_First_Crew_Base.pdf
• 2019=#6 total flight emissions of passengers with 0.95 mtCO2, equivalent to yearly emissions from 475,500 cars. Total distance flown by fare-paying passengers 11.90bn kms at 80g CO2 per passenger km.
• 21% Short haul/45% Medium/34%Long.  2019 ATM=101,700.                                                                 

• LA= Borough of Fylde. No CED. No current planning application submitted.
• Owner Blackpool Council.
• 2019 ATM=4k.

• LA= Bournemouth,Christchurch & Poole which are a 2030 Net zero council but only "Seek to work with Bournemouth Airport to encourage reduce emissions fromflights and passenger travel"  .   No current planning application submitted.
• Owned by Regional and City Airports division of Rigby Group plc.
• Passengers: 2018=674k; 2019=679k; 2030 projected passenger numbers: 3-4m
• Ambition for 1msqft business park adjacent to the airport on 75 acres of land. Existing Aviation Business Park already covers 200 acres.
• 2019=#25 total flight emissions of passengers with 0.05 mtCO2, equivalent to yearly emissions from 23,550 cars. Total distance flown by fare-paying passengers 0.70bn kms at 67g CO2 per passenger km.
• 34% Short haul/65% Medium/1%Long.  2019  ATM=5k.

• Owned by Regional & City Airports division of Rigby Group plc.
• Passengers:-2008=331k but ceased commercial flights at the start of Nov'08 to “focus on business aviation and freight only”.
• Apr'22 Air-One Flying taxis hub opens in car park for demonstrations  https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-coventry-warwickshire-61193195  supported by UKgov via the  Future Flight Challenge Fund, the local municipal council and the advanced air mobility division of Hyundai—Supernal.

• LA=Highland Council which has 2025 jurisdiction net zero but only Reducing staff travel to cut carbon & costs (Corporate Plan, updated 2019) . No current planning application submitted but pushing for new rail station.
• Owned by Scottish Government
• Passengers:- 2018=903k; 2019=895k
• 2019=#26 total flight emissions of passengers with 0.04 mtCO2, equivalent to yearly emissions from 19,700 cars. Total distance flown by fare-paying passengers 0.33bn kms at 121g CO2 per passenger km.
• 100% Short haul.  2019 ATM=12,500.

•  2019=#25 total flight emissions of passengers with 0.05 mtCO2, equivalent to yearly emissions from 23,550 cars. Total distance flown by fare-paying passengers 0.3bn kms at 156g CO2 per passenger km.
• 99% Short haul/1% Medium.

• LA= Leeds Borough Council which has a 2030 jurisdiction net zero CED but "With respect to aviation, the council accepts that aviation growth and meeting zero carbon targets are fundamentally incompatible until such time as new technologies are developed. The council believes that aviation targets need to be set at a national a   
• Owned by AMP Capital an Australian investment firm
• Feb'21 Leeds City Council Council  approves  plans in principle, subject to additional conditions still to be negotiated, doubling p.p.a. to 7m - Leeds Bradford Airport expansion plans approved . Mar'22 Airport  announces  it is withdrawing £150m application to expand in advance of JR.
• The airport does not have permission to expand beyond 5m passengers. They claim they do but there is a Section106 (Planning Act) order that currently says they don't. There is also a NOTAM restricting capacity to expand even if the council decides/is able to change the Section 106 order. 
• Passengers:- 2017=4,074,500; 2018=4m; 2019=4m; Planned capacity=7m; Increase on 2017=2,925,500 (72%) by 2030 and 7.2m by 2050.
• NEF remodelling of airport appraisal documentation of "cumulative emissions 2025-2050" found 14.3mt CO2 equivalents compared to airport claim of 2.4mt. 
• BEIS 2021 departing emissions values £913m. An increase factor on 2020 of 2.2
• 2019=#14 total flight emissions of passengers with 0.26 mtCO2, equivalent to yearly emissions from 130,500 cars. Total distance flown by fare-paying passengers 3.42bn kms at 76g CO2 per passenger km. 
• 15% Short haul/85% Medium. 2019 ATM=29,500 
• Green New Deal for Leeds/Bradford airport area here:- https://www.galba.uk/green-new-deal 

• LA= both Liverpool City & Halton Councils of which Liverpool has a 2030 Jurisdiction net zero CED.
• Technically no current planning application submitted but has proceeded through the Local Plan adoption process with both council's approval leading to a Lawful Development Certificate (LDC).  Masterplan ‘Strategic Vision to 2030’ sets out how it wants to spend £100m this decade expanding its terminal building, adding car parking and extending the runway, annexing 252acres of greenbelt!
• Planned 3MW solar farm, 5,616 panels on 14acres within boundary, apparently connected to Liverpool City Region pathway Net Zero Report https://www.placenorthwest.co.uk/news/liverpool-airport-plots-solar-farm/ LDC application was rejected.
• Owned by Peel Airports Group
• Passengers:- 2017=4,896,603; 2018=5m; 2019=5m; Planned capacity=7.8m; Increase on 2017=2,903,397 (59%) by 2030 planned and projected to 11m by 2050.
• 2019=#15 total flight emissions of passengers with 0.25 mtCO2, equivalent to yearly emissions from 127,000 cars. Total distance flown by fare-paying passengers 3.26bn kms at 78g CO2 per passenger km.
• 33% Short haul/67% Medium. 2019 ATM=34,800

• LA= London Borough of Newham which has a CED 2030 Net zero jurisdiction including on the Airport 'continue to review compliance for all planning conditions and obligations'  
• Owned by a private consortium of AIMCo, OMERS, Ontario Teachers Pension Plan and the Kuwait Investment Authority 
• Aug'20 Airport announced that plans approved to expand with 8 new aircraft stands and terminal extensions that would quadruple size to 6.5m p.p.a. by 2023, would not be pursued at this time £500M expansion project of London City Airport paused indefinitely because of the economic slump caused by Covid-19,
• Sept'22 reversed this with new consultation  https://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/city-airport-faces-battle-for-extra-flights-on-early-mornings-and-over-weekend-b1022037.html to introduce new plans by 2024 to loosen flight restrictions that would allow flights to run through the night and on weekends and increase the annual passenger limit from 6.5m to 9m by 2031. Therefore at end of 2022/early 2023 the airport expects to submit an application to vary its planning conditions but reportedly keeping the flight cap at 111k.

• Their myth of quieter aircraft was busted by citizen science project https://static1.squarespace.com/static/56507de4e4b018da2a5ce870/t/630c7eaf5feb6109382efbc7/1661763260459/Citizen+Research+study+-+London+City+aircraft+noise+Aug+2022.pdf 

• Litany of broken promises on expansion "Growth by Stealth":-  http://www.hacaneast.org.uk/news

• Announced alongside its laughable promise to achieve net-zero status by 2030, a pledge to invest in electric vertical take-off & landing (eVTOLs) aircraft and joined a consortium working on potential routes between airports across the UK.
• CAA figures reveal that noise pollution from the airport affects 74k people – an amount exceeded only by Heathrow and Manchester airports.
• Passengers:- 2017=4,530,439; 2018=4.9m; 2019=5.1m; Planned capacity=6.5m;  Increase on 2017=1,969,561 (43%) by 2025 plans approved. projected to 10-11m by 2030-50.  Master Plan on hold contains proposal to lift the aircraft annual cap from 111 to 151k - 2019 was around 83,000.
• 2019=#11 total flight emissions of passengers with 0.32 mtCO2, equivalent to yearly emissions from 160,000 cars. Total distance flown by fare-paying passengers 2.08bn kms at 154g CO2 per passenger km.
• 89% Short haul/11% Medium. 2019 ATM=79,400.

• LA= Luton Borough Council which has a CED with 2040 Net zero jurisdiction, however Climate plan mentions airport only regarding solar PV locations, offsetting contributors.  
• Owned by Luton Borough Council via London Luton Airport Ltd.  
• Planning application to increase capacity by 1m p.p.a.to 19m submitted Jan'21. Further 13m expected. Dec'21 Council approves the application subject to conditions but SoS directs them not to grant permission until he has considered whether the application should be referred to him for determination.  However the Airport, which intends to build a 2nd terminal, held a statutory consultation on proposals to increase from 18m p.p.a. to 32m! Apr'22 SoS called in the decision and announces a public inquiry commenced on 27th Sept'22.
• A Nationally Significant Infrastructure (NSI) application plus non-nationally significant infrastructure application. Current plans would lead to the loss of Wigmore Park covering over 70 acres. 
• Passengers:- 2017=15,989,225; 2018=16.6m; 2019=16.9m; Planned capacity=18m; Increase on 2017=2,010,775 (13%) by 2020 available capacity. Projected to 32m by 2039 and 38m by 2050.
• 2019:- Freight=0.037mt. Commercial Revenue (m£): Retail & car parking=106.8; Property & operational facilities=18.2; Total non-aeronautical revenue=125; Total aeronautical revenue=101.9. 
• New BEIS 2021 departing emissions values £5,231m with an increase factor on 2020 of 2.
•  2019=#5 total flight emissions of passengers with 1.02 mtCO2, equivalent to yearly emissions from 510,000 cars. Total distance flown by fare-paying passengers 13.90bn kms at 73g CO2 per passenger km. 
• 35% Short haul/65% Medium.  2019 ATM=112,200.

• LA= Shepway District Council. 
• Owned by FAL Holding Ltd, based in Saudi Arabia.
• Apr'13 Granted planning permission for a 444m runway extension and new terminal to increase its passenger numbers to 500k. Sufficient work has been done for the airport to discharge its obligation to extend the runway within 3 years and has until 2023 to build the new terminal. 
• Passengers:- 2008=2k; 2009=588. 

• LA= Manchester City Council which has a CED with a 2038 jurisdiction net zero hoping for "Aviation sub-objective:We want the emissions from all flights from Manchester Airport to be fully aligned with the Paris Agreement. We believe this means operating within a limited carbon budget for UK aviation, as part of a wider international budget."  
• Owned by (Manchester Airport Holdings) Manchester Airports Group (MAG) made up by Manchester City Council (35.5%), Australian investors IFM Global Infrastructure Fund (35.5%) and 9 other Greater Manchester LAs (29%) 
• No current planning application submitted but MAG has a 50% investment in the £1 billion, 5 million sqft Airport City development and £1bn expansion underway with upgraded Terminal 2 finished in 2022, 150% larger.
• Passengers:- 2017=27,773,303; 2018=28.2m; 2019=29.4m; Planned capacity=55m; Increase on 2017=27,226,697 (98%) by 2050 but projected up to 38m by 2030.
• Total Manchester Airport Group (MAG) Operations (including East midlands & Stanstead) 2019:- Passengers=61.9m;  Freight=0.675mt. Commercial Revenue (m£):- Retail & car parking=419.5; Property & operational facilities=115.4; Total non aeronautical revenue=534.9; Total aeronautical revenue=354.5.
• 2019=#3 total flight emissions of passengers with 2.88 mtCO2, equivalent to yearly emissions from 1,440,000 cars. Total distance flown by fare-paying passengers 36bn kms at 80g CO2 per passenger km. 
• 13% Short haul/37% Medium/50%Long. 2019 ATM=194,100.        

• LA= Thanet District Council which has a CED with a 2030 net zero target that the Action Plan mentions environmental impact reports only!
• Owned by RiverOak Strategic Partners Limited including Riveroak Investments Ltd (75%) - owned by 2 Swiss residents.
• https://theisleofthanetnews.com/2022/07/27/discovery-park-firm-hypoint-… .
• Jul'20 – Plans to reopen Manston Airport in Kent approved against advice of Examining Authority which concluded “the airport will damage the local economy and impact negatively on the UK’s carbon budget and our commitments to the Paris Agreement”. JR reversed Government approval quashing the DCO Feb'21- Judicial review of planning approval to reopen Manston Airport announced . Aug'22 SoS DTp redetermined application and DCO granted again!  https://infrastructure.planninginspectorate.gov.uk/projects/south-east/manston-airport/?ipcsection=docs . 

• JRsubmitted Sept'22 and funding page up:- CrowdJustice:Manston https://www.crowdjustice.com/case/support-judicial-review-of-sec/ . 

•  BEIS 2021 departing emissions values £5,131 with an increase factor on 2020 of 2.1                               

• LA= Cornwall Council which has CED with a 2030 jurisdiction net zero but merely states "We will develop a number of investments that will contribute towardslessoning the carbon impact Cornwall Airport Newquay’s operation (i.e. emissions excluding flights)" Emissions are counted. Talk of demand management, CO2 removals, and ALT fuels in Facilitation Programme.  
• No current airport planning application submitted but new passenger terminal site and - staggeringly: 2019 received funding of up to £20m from Cornwall Council and the UK Space Agency to develop the site into a hub for space exploration via Spaceport Cornwall and American launch operator Virgin Orbit.
• Passengers:- 2018=456k; 2019=460k; Projected to 600k by 2030. 2019 ATM=8k

• LA= Broadland Council and Norwich City Councils, the latter with CED Jurisdiction net zero but Not mentioned in Norwich action plan. Counted in emissions.  
• Oct'19 No current planning application submitted but Norwich City Council endorsed Master Plan -https://www.edp24.co.uk/news/politics/climate-activists-slam-shameful-backing-of-norwich-airport-vision-1-6328884 . The airport has been asked to provide evidence at the next masterplan review of what steps they will take to reduce the airport’s carbon impact.
• Owned by Rigby Group airport division Regional & City Airports
• Passengers:- 2018=532k; 2019=536k; Projected to treble to 1.4m by 2045.
• 2019=#27 total flight emissions of passengers with 0.03 mtCO2, equivalent to yearly emissions from 13,200 cars. Total distance flown by fare-paying passengers 0.23bn kms at 117g CO2 per passenger km.
• 40% Short haul/60% Medium. 2019 ATM=19,700.