Howard Wheeldon, analyst at BGC Partners LP in London comments that expansion at London City Airport should be no more than 20% and referred to LCA being in ' cloud cuckoo land' with the expansion levels planned.In an interview on Bloomberg UK, Fight the Flights spokesperson, Anne-Marie Griffin puts the noise and health issues which will affect at least another 40,000 residents, at the top of the objection points, whilst Richard Gooding, CEO of LCA comments to the effect that 'some (residents) will complain at any planes over them, even 'quiet' ones'. Well that just about tells you, the communities, who dare to object to the threat of flights expanding to 176,000 in the future, measuring noise levels of 82db+ flying over every 90 seconds, for hours on end, that you are just a moaning lot of whingers, who are standing in the way of him making a lot of money for his shareholders (Credit Suisse, GE, AIG)! How very unreasonable of you all to object!!! But in all seriousness, it is very predictable that the word 'quiet and planes' should be used together from someone connected to the aviation industry - see our previous posting!
The PR is still not going that well at all down in the LCA camp, unless they are actually intending to provide lessons on how to alienate a whole community and the words of warning from the business sector too - oh dear! We guess they had to change their responses from those offered in the past, especially as Mr Gooding was getting confused on those claims he made to the community that "it's not going to get any noisier" and various other flippant comments such as the varying amount of 'estimated jobs' which will more than make up for any environmental damage or any other negative effects!!Not a strong argument at all.
We think they need a few 'lifejacket' responses to questions from now on as they are clearly cornered: the negatives are so many and the positives....well there's just one really, and that won't benefit the communities at all: expansion will simply make a lot of money for the shareholders.
As well as watching the feature on Bloomberg web video - you can also read an excellent news article written by Thomas Penny on Bloomberg by clicking here.
