NEWS RELEASE

From Friends of the Earth Scotland & TRANSform Scotland

Friday 24 March 2006

TRANSform Scotland and Friends of the Earth Scotland today (Friday 24 March) objected to the BAA Aberdeen's 'outline Master Plan'. The groups' joint response has been submitted on the closing date for comments on the expansion plans set out by the private airport operator BAA plc. The groups are critical of the uncontrolled growth of air transport, widely acknowledged as the fastest growing source of climate-wrecking greenhouse gas emissions.

Friends of the Earth Scotland's Chief Executive, Duncan McLaren, said:

"We can only regard the expansion plan set out for Aberdeen Airport as being incompatible with delivering the 'Scottish Share' of reductions in climate change emissions. We see no attempt by BAA Aberdeen to make its own contribution to meeting these pressing environmental targets. The approach set out in the outline Master Plan is entirely unacceptable on environmental grounds."

TRANSform Scotland's Director, Colin Howden, said:

"It is indeed indicative of the UK government's skewed approach to air transport policy that it has ceded responsibility for the strategic planning of airports to BAA plc, a private company, which has little or no specific responsibility for reducing the strategic environmental impacts of the air transport sector."

ENDS

Notes to Editors:

[1] FoES / TS joint response

The groups' response is available at:
http://www.foe-scotland.org.uk/nation/Aberdeen_Airport_response.pdf

[2] Air transport growth trends

UK Government projections suggest that air passenger numbers may increase from 180 million per annum today to anywhere between 349 to 461 million in 2020, or as high as 600 million by 2030. Such projections reflect an old, discredited "predict and provide" model for this industry, and one that would entail uncontrolled environmental damage.

[3] Climate change emissions

Greenhouse gas emissions from aircraft are uniquely damaging and are likely to increase substantially over the next 50 years. By 2050 global emissions from aircraft will contribute between 4 - 15% of predicted man-made climate change. Technological and operational improvements will not be sufficient to offset the effects of increasing emissions.

Recently published research by the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change research, which says that all householders, motorists and businesses will have to reduce their carbon dioxide pollution to zero, if the growing aviation industry is to be incorporated into Government climate change targets. See <http://www.e-collaboration.co.uk/tyndall/media/press_release/tyndallpr21sep
.pdf>.

END OF NEWS RELEASE