One (well rather more) Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest

Residents have been reporting back to us for some time the high amount of planes that have aborted landings at London City Airport.

Residents notice these as the sound of a jet at low level less than a mile from the end of the runway firing back up into a climb at a steep angle is incredibly noisy over residential areas. They also worry that these events of firing off mean that more of those harmful emissions to humans are spurted over their homes.

We are also wondering if when there are aborted landings whether these count as one noise factored movement or two- even though the plane has to re-circle and attempt to land for the second time?? So in effect, residents experience such events as two movements. But the murky world of aviation statistic manipulation is bound to count it as one we suspect!

We don't have aborted landing figures from Heathrow but we suspect that the amount of landings aborted at LCA are relatively much higher due to the nature of the landings required and the exposed position to adverse weather conditions - another reason to suspect their ability to manage any more flights than they already have.

London City Airport "in cloud cuckoo land" Says Senior Analyst

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.