Whangarei to Auckland transport links

Between COVID19 and a very wet 2023, the transport links between Northland and the rest of the country have suffered from major disruptions. They simply are not resilient. This post is the start of an examination of the problems and some of the possible solutions. It will be edited as I add more material but let's start with SH1.

I will also look at the months-long failure of the rail link, the proposals to build a rail link to the port at Marsden Point and move Whangarei airport, and an interesting new proposal for a ground-effect service along the coast called Ocean Flyer.

Before the Labour Government was elected, its National Party predecessor had promised a four-lane highway.

The current SH1 four laneing has now reached north to Warkworth with the recent opening of a new road north from Puhoi. This was part of the previous Government's Roads of National Significance (RoNs) programme.

At the same time work has been done to improve the safety of the existing section of SH1 between Warkworth and Wellsford.

But what was investigated before the change of Government in 2017? There is still information on the NZ Transport Agency web site about what might have involved a major rerouting of SH1, avoiding both Dome Valley and the Brynderwyn Hill. See, for example, the August 2017 Programme Business Case: https://www.nzta.govt.nz/assets/projects/whangarei-to-te-hana/Whangarei-to-Auckland-PBC.pdf

Information about the current work programme is available from the NZTA web page on Connecting Northland: https://www.nzta.govt.nz/projects/connecting-northland/ 

New Zealand to join satellite-based augmentation systems trial programme

On Friday, 17 February 2017 the Prime Ministers of Australia and New Zealand announced that the New Zealand would be joining a satellite-based augmentation system trial programme (see third to last paragraph on page 2).

Related announcements were made by Hon Simon Bridges, New Zealand Minister of Economic Development and Minister of Transport (here), and the Australian Ministers of Resources, Hon Matthew Canavan, and Infrastructure, Hon Darren Chester (here).

Additional information is available on the New Zealand web sites of:

• Land Information New Zealand - news item
• the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment - see Summary of Initial Work Programme page 4
• the Ministry of Transport - positioning systems 
• the Civil Aviation Authority - New Southern Sky UPDATED 

See also previous post.

Australia funding a satellite-based augmentation systems test-bed and trial programme

Modern positioning infrastructure, such as the US-provided Global Positioning System (GPS), is something people are increasingly taking for granted yet it is also technology that is proving useful for many transport-related applications.

The accuracy and integrity of global navigation satellite systems (GNSS), of which GPS is now but one example, can be improved through using satellite-based augmentation systems (SBAS) that broadcast correction messages using geostationary satellites. SBAS coverage is already provided over North America (WAAS), Europe (EGNOS), Japan (MSAS) and India (GAGAN) but not over Australasia.

On 17 January 2017 the Australian Ministers of Infrastructure and Resources announced that the Federal Government would be providing A$12m to fund a SBAS test-bed and trial programme.

Further information about this was provided in a statement released on the same day by the Chief Executive of Geoscience Australia and related questions and answers.

On 10 February 2017 Geoscience Australia announced that the test-bed would be provided by a consortium of Lockheed Martin from the USA, GMV from Spain and Inmarsat from the UK. Both Lockheed Martin and GMV have made press releases about this news.

CRCSI is going to be involved in organising the trial programme.

A change of focus for the blog - transport technology

While I continue to be fascinated by aeropolitical developments and on a personal note I have taken up flying again (this time with the Whangarei Flying Club), my professional interests are now more focused on developments in transport technology across all modes.

It seems likely that we are on the cusp of transport-technology disruption the likes of which we have not seen since the end of the nineteenth century. Topics like the "Internet of Things" and "Big Data" all have a transport dimension, and we are increasingly using such phrases as "Intelligent Mobility" and "Mobility as a Service".

It is an exciting time to be involved in transport policy as we work through the implications of the anticipated transport system changes.

As a consequence I will also now be using this weblog to provide links to some of the more interesting reports and articles on intelligent transport systems (ITS).

POST Notes on Transport

The UK's Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology (POST) has produced a series of short briefing notes that it calls POSTnotes that are relevant to those with an interest in transport policy. The following have been published over the last decade:

2014

479 - Civilian Drones 
472 - Big and Open Data in Transport
468 - Big Data Overview

2013

440 - Drug-driving
432 - Accessing Public Transport

2010

365 - Electric Vehicles
362 - Resilience of UK Infrastructure
361 - Space Weather
355 - Space Debris
354 - Global Carbon Trading

2009

322 - Intelligent Transport Systems

2006

255 - Low Carbon Private Vehicles

2004

218 - Speed Cameras

A POSTnote on Trends in Transport UPDATED has been completed.

Microblogging

Over the last few months I have become a fan of using Twitter (posts should be 140 characters or less and URLs are usually shortened) and some of the web links that I have previously been posting here are now being sent out from @aeropolitics  It is also an excellent method for following other relevant Twitter accounts on the latest developments around the world as they happen. I will, however. be making an effort to catch up on my weblog posting.

I have also started helping the New Zealand Division of the Royal Aeronautical Society (I am a Council member) with tweets focussed on New Zealand aviation news using the brand name @aerospacenz

And I am still using @macilree for short messages of a more personal nature.

As this can often be done from my "old" iPhone it is generally a much quicker way of providing links to information that may be of interest to others.

To assist I am using Tweetdeck both on our PC and my smartphone.

ECJ Advocate General releases opinion on extension of EU ETS to cover international aviation

On 6 October 2011 the Court of Justice of the European Union (ECJ) issued a press release and non-binding legal opinion on the case (C-366/10) brought by the Air Transport Association of America and Others (see previous post).

Reaction from interested parties the same day included statements from:

• Air Transport Association (ATA)
• International Air Transport Association (IATA)
• Association of European Airlines (AEA)

Media coverage of the opinion and related reaction included:

• Financial Post reporting the Canadian Government position
• The Washington Post 
• The Economist 
• Air Cargo World 

While airline opposition might be expected, of much greater significance is the reaction of foreign governments.

As might be expected, the opinion has been of considerable interest to international law academics. Aviation Law Prof Blog from DePaul University in Chicago has been providing commentary and links to other work:

• Advocate General claims EU not bound by Chicago Convention
• Functional succession theory and ramifications of EU exemption from Chicago Convention
• Advocate General opinion charts new ground on extraterritorial jurisdiction over environmental issues
• Advocate General opinion finds no legal impediment to unilateral emissions action
• Does ETS constitute a tax? 

Canada signs expanded air agreement with Japan

On 1 October 2011 the Canadian Ministers of International Trade and Transport announced that Canada had negotiated new air services arrangements with Japan (see previous post).

Australia concludes open air services agreement with Japan

On 30 September 2011 the Australian Minister of Infrastructure and Transport, Hon Anthony Albanese, announced that Australia had negotiated a new open air services agreement with Japan. For Australian airlines the arrangements include time-restricted access to Haneda airport in Tokyo and open access to Narita airport from 2013. While described as "open skies", some slot-related restrictions on access to these Tokyo airports remain for the time being. Also included are fifth freedom rights for Australian airlines beyond Japan to third countries.

On 16 August 2011 the Qantas group had announced that it will be entering into a new joint venture with Japan Airlines and Mitsubishi Corporation to establish Jetstar Japan. Although announced as a domestic operation, this new joint venture could qualify to use Japanese international air rights.

UK has air services negotiations scheduled with Japan

The United Kingdom Forward Programme of Possible Bilateral Air Services Talks published by the Department for Transport has negotiations scheduled for September 2011 with Cuba, Egypt and Turkmenistan.

More interestingly it states that the UK has negotiations scheduled with Japan for 17-19 January 2012. With the recent talks with Canada (see previous post), Japan is clearly starting to work through a priority list of countries outside of East Asia (see previous post) as it implements its "open skies" policy.

UK Government responds to Committee on Climate Change Aviation Report

On 25 August 2011 the UK Department for Transport published a government response to the Aviation Report issued by the Committee for Climate Change (CCC) in December 2009 (see previous post).

The response focusses on an estimated marginal abatement cost curve to reduce CO2 emissions from UK aviation.

APEC Transportation Ministers meet in San Francisco

APEC Transportation Ministers met in San Francisco on 14 September 2011. The Ministerial Joint Statement released at the meeting makes specific mention of the Multilateral Agreement on the Liberalization of International Air Transportation (MALIAT).

APEC has long taken an interest in the economic regulation of international air transport. In the late 1990s it developed and prioritised eight options for reform and these were endorsed when APEC Leaders met and issued the Auckland Challenge on 13 September 1999 (see page 4).

Guiding APEC's work in trade have been the Bogor goals set by Leaders in 1994.

Australian Productivity Commission releases draft report on airport regulation

On 22 August 2011 the Australian Productivity Commission released a draft report on the Economic Regulation of Airport Services. The final date for submissions is 23 September 2011.

India's Comptroller and Auditor General Examines Air India

The Comptroller and Auditor General of India has recently released a Performance Audit of Civil Aviation in India. The audit commenced in September 2009 and the report was tabled in Parliament on 8 September 2011.

For me the most interesting part of the report was Chapter 5 which looks at India's bilateral air services arrangements during a period of fundamental change in India's international air transport policy. Of particular concern to the auditors was the extent of sixth freedom carriage by many of the foreign airlines serving India, notably from small city states. Sixth freedom carriage in this context involves a foreign international airline is carrying traffic between India and a third country via its home country. Seeking to limit such carriage is a traditional approach to air rights exchanges dating back to the 1946 Bermuda 1 arrangements between the UK and the USA (see previous post).

What I had not expected to see was the extent to which European carriers serving India have as high a proportion of sixth freedom carriage as airlines from the Gulf. An 18 September 2011 article in the Business Standard reports on the data.

The auditors also focus in particular on the failure of the Indian Ministry of Civil Aviation to secure Dubai's agreement to a "change of gauge" provision. If this was considered important surely the Indian negotiators would have made it the price for agreeing to capacity increases for Emirates?

A 10 September 2011 report in the Indian Express covers the reaction to the report from the Ministry of Civil Aviation.

It would seem that India has no intention of seeking to wind back existing air services arrangements but one has to wonder what impact this report will have on future negotiations, particularly as there was a change of Civil Aviation Minister in India from Praful Patel to Vyalar Ravi in January 2011.

Air India recently had its application to join the Star alliance suspended (see 31 July 2011 media release) and there is now some doubt about its large order for new Boeing aircraft, including the B787.

In the 1960s Air India was one of the great airlines of the world with its wonderful Maharaja character. However, past failures to agree to replace older airliners has left the airline with a relatively old fleet.

"Breaking the Surly Bonds of Economic Regulation" by Chris Lyle

Consultant and former senior official at ICAO, Chris Lyle of Air Transport Economics in Canada published an article in August 2011 suggesting a way forward towards liberalising international air transport economic regulation involving a club approach.

Although I would not uncritically accept what he has to say, it is well worth reading.

Japan negotiating "open skies" agreement with Canada

CAPA reported that Japan's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MILT) announced on 9 September 2011 that it would be negotiating an open skies agreement with Canada commencing on 13-14 September 2011 in Vancouver.

MILT noted that this would be only the second such agreement outside of East Asia, the first having been with the United States (see previous post).

New Zealand Productivity Commission International Freight Transport Services Inquiry

The new New Zealand Productivity Commission (modelled on its Australian counterpart) is conducting an Inquiry into International Freight Transport Services. The Commission is looking at both aviation and maritime services, including air and sea ports (New Zealand has no land borders).

The Terms of Reference for the Inquiry were released in March 2011 and on 13 July 2011 the Commission released a 78-page Issues Paper with 79 specific questions.

Submissions are now being made available on the Commission's web site. To date those from the aviation industry have included submissions from the Aviation Industry Association, Board of Airline Representatives NZ, New Zealand Air Cargo Council, NZ Airports Association, and Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch airports.

New Zealand Government releases transport policy direction statement

On 31 August 2011 the New Zealand Minister of Transport, Hon. Steven Joyce, released a new 44-page transport policy direction statement, Connecting New Zealand.

In contrast to the previous coalition government's 2008 New Zealand Transport Strategy (see previous post), Connecting New Zealand includes three pages specifically focussed on civil aviation.

Road safety continues to be a major priority. Also featured are the Roads of National Significance, a programme of investment in the road network around New Zealand's three main centres, and major investment in rail.

Australian draft report on the Regulation of Airport Services

On 22 August 2011 the Australian Productivity Commission released a draft report on the Economic Regulation of Airport Services.

An Issues paper was issued back in January 2011.

The Commission's final report to the government is scheduled to be made in December 2011.

New Zealand domestic air transport trends to June 2011

Since I last looked at the trends in domestic air passenger numbers twelve months ago by charting the numbers through the three main airports (see previous post) there have been some major external shocks.

Christchurch has been hit by three major earthquakes (7.1 magnitude on 4 September 2010, 6.3 on 22 February 2011 with 181 fatalities and 6.3 on 13 June 2011) and thousands of aftershocks. This was followed by disruption caused by the 4 June 2011 eruption of Puyehue volcano in Chile.

In addition, Pacific Blue withdrew from the New Zealand domestic market on 18 October 2010 leaving Jetstar to compete with Air New Zealand. It is not surprising therefore that domestic air transport have seen some large monthly declines in the year to June 2011.

On a more positive note, the progressive replacement of Air New Zealand's domestic B737-300 aircraft (133 seats) with A320 aircraft (171 seats) can be expected to boost domestic passenger numbers. Already this has been causing congestion at the main domestic screening point at Auckland airport. On 9 August 2011 the airport company announced that this was being addressed.

I am now monitoring monthly domestic passenger numbers at Queenstown Airport and may include these in a future update.