thought I'd get the inevitable thread underway with a question.

While reading the Green Party manifesto this afternoon I noticed this snippet:



c'est vrai?

A load of male cow surely?

Gaz

Mais oui.

The Edinburgh figure doesn't sound too far out but PIK? Isn't it only STN from PIK?

I do remember that there are more than 220 weekday flights between Scotland and London.

Actually the figure is much lower

Flights are as follows

LHR
11 rotations BA
8 rotations BD

LGW
6 rotations BA
4 rotations EZY

LCY
8 rotations BA
6 (ish) rotations CB

STN
6 rotations EZY

LTN
6 rotations EZY

making a total about 110 flights a day (CB varies by day and numbers are much lower at weekends)

Based on somewhere around 350 movements for Edinburgh on a typical day gives just over 30% of flights to London airports.

Ex

Double the 110 to 220 to count for arrivals and departurews and you've got 220 out of 350. Which gives a percentage of 62.8%

Do the sums on Exasperated figures and you'll noticed that's already been done.

Now, of course ajamieson's figure was based on *Scotland", not just Edinburgh.

Wangi is right I had already doubled the figures for each rotation

The exact figures for 2006 movements are as follows

Edinburgh
Movements 109309
London Flts 34963
Percentage 31.99%

Or, if you look at 2006 passengers the percentage of passengers flying to London for the 5 main Scottish airports are as follows:

Aberdeen 32.84%
Edinburgh 40.40%
Glasgow 29.40%
Inverness 58.46%
Prestwick 19.61%

All figures courtesy of the CAA and the definition of a London Airport is one of LHR, LGW, STN, LTN and LCY

So as suspected the Greens are talking rubbish (as usual).

Ex

thanks for the analysis Ex. The figure did seem to be picked out of the sky - the PIK figure seemed especially out of kilter. It does make one wonder as to the veracity of the rest of their claims.

I'll email them and ask!

well here's the response. I still don't think the number of flights is correct as there is no way that 80% of flights from PIK are to London
Dear Mr Cobb,

Thank you for your comments

The Scottish Green Party believes that a high speed train service from London to Scotland would massively reduce the number of domestic flights from Scotland to London. It would offer a faster and more reliable service, as well as reducing carbon emissions. We belive that the case for High Speed rail has been made, but what we now need is the political will to make it happen. We accept, however, contrary to what is often alleged, that there will always be a vital role, particularly to overseas destinations and lifeline services to the islands.

While the figures you quote are for the number of PASSENGERS, our figures are for the number of FLIGHTS, and in particular the proportion of domestic flights. Clearly international flights would not be reduced by High Speed Rail links to London. However I accept that we should of clarified that the figures we used referred to the proportion of domestic flights from these airports to London, and I will seek to take steps to remedy this.

Thank you for your time and energy checking our manifesto.

Scott Lamb
Scottish Green Party

LOL

I got this:



I was going to give them my council and list votes, but they are going to have to work for them now. Off to the CAA pages!

well, it appears that if you take their basis (London flights as a % of only domestic flights, the cheats) you do get a bit closer:

PIK works out as 82%
EDI works out at 59%

so, so far, so good

but the figure for GLA turns out at 56% or 58% if we discount the Highland and Island routes, but still a way from the claimed 70%

2 out of 3 stats ain't too bad for a political party!

There was (for once ) a good line the the Scotsman this morning:



As I am most emphatically not at least two of the above three, I'll spare you all my analysis of the competing aviation policiies then (hint, a cigarette paper would not really be needed).