Air passengers vanish
News that East Midlands airport had lost nearly one million passengers in 12 months, due to the economic squeeze, volcanic ash disruption etc, prompted me to seek similar data from Newquay: I am grateful for the airport's reply:
Terminal Passengers (000's)
2007-08: 357
2008-09: 408
2009-10: 359
2010-11 (forecast): 329
2007-08: 357
2008-09: 408
2009-10: 359
2010-11 (forecast): 329
This is a 19.4% drop over the last two years, or 79,000 passengers. Not as bad as East Midlands but I suspect worrying for those seeking to pursue plans for the airport's expansion.
I'm ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Radio Devon’s Graham Smith, blogging on news, views and some fresh insights into West Country life, particularly the way government works locally and nationally.
Comment number 1.
At 19th Aug 2010, AccurateChronometer wrote:You say 'not as bad as East Midlands'. Surely in this day and age of heightened environmental awareness and wider general recognition that we need to conserve and make best and most efficient use of the finite fossil fuel bounty to extend their availability to future generations you meant to write 'not as good as East Midlands'?
Reduction in air traffic at Newquay Airport and elsewhere not only means we squander less of our valuable and not unlimited fossil based energy resources and help conserve them to enable their continuing availability for future generations but it also means we pollute our only planetary life support system less on a day to day basis above the ability of the eco-system to reabsorb and rebalance and that Cornwall Council is helped substantially towards achieving its stated corporate aim of a 'low carbon economy':
Do you agree your rather casual and careless use of the adjective 'bad' is better replaced with 'good' in these circumstances, Mr Smith?
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Comment number 2.
At 20th Aug 2010, Graham Smith wrote:These figures are evidence that people generally are poorer today than they were two years ago - and that the subsidy-cost-per-passenger, to Cornwall's taxpayers, has risen. The number of flights hasn't changed very much - the planes just aren't full - and so the environmental impact has not been reduced. I don't think there's much of a case for using the word "good."
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Comment number 3.
At 20th Aug 2010, AccurateChronometer wrote:Actually, Mr Smith,quite a few routes to and from Newquay Airport have been cancelled by more than one airline in recent times - from an environmental stewardship, atmospheric pollution and fossil fuel conservation point of view that can only be a GOOD thing, don't you agree?
Now, here's something you might like to research in some detail: Why/How was Cornwall's Objective One/Convergence Eurofund Bonanza squandered on resurfacing, refurbishing and committing Cornwall Council to maintaining around 9,000 feet of runway when less than 3,000 feet would have been perfectly adequate for a provincial civil airport?
Was that, in reality, a sly MOD upgrade at the expense of the people of Cornwall for when the MOD demand to use it at any time at the drop of a hat currently or in the future?
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Comment number 4.
At 28th Aug 2010, Tynegod wrote:"Was that, in reality, a sly MOD upgrade at the expense of the people of Cornwall for when the MOD demand to use it at any time at the drop of a hat currently or in the future?"?
Not quite. Don't forget the £5.00-per-person levy on ALL those adults leaving Newquay airport.
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