May 5, 2006. HACAN. British Airways has faced a barrage of criticism over its claim that air pollution levels around Heathrow will meet the standards set by the European Union. BA highlights the results of air quality measurements it has taken on the front page of its staff journal, British Airways News. It has also sent copies of the results to local MPs.

BA claims that its results show that air pollution levels are within the EU legal limit. It also claims that a third of the pollution around Heathrow is from London'. But its approach has been dismissed as misleading'. Experts have pointed out that the way British Airways measured the results using diffusion tubes - is regarded as inadequate by the European Union.

Pete Lockley from the Aviation Environment Federation and the author of a recent study (1) of air pollution around Heathrow said, "The claim by BA doesn't stand up. They have used data from diffusion tubes, a method that the EU says is inadequate; 3 out of the 8 sites were over the limit; and it's totally irrelevant whether the pollution comes from aircraft or cars - pollution levels have to come down below the limits, full stop. The real question is whether the levels would remain below the legal limit if a 3rd runway was built and mixed-mode introduced. BA is lobbying hard for expansion that would increase pollution from both aircraft and cars bringing passengers to the airport. If they're at or around the limits now, where will there be with a third more planes taking off every day?"

The Aviation Environment Federation argued that BA's results are not backed up by the official pollution monitoring which takes place at Heathrow. These results show that the levels of pollution around Heathrow are much higher than BA is claiming (2).

HACAN ClearSkies Chair John Stewart said, "It is no exaggeration to say that BA has been caught fiddling the figures. They seem to be deliberately seeking to mislead. It smacks of panic."

Christine Shilling, NoTRAG Press Secretary, commented: "BA's subterfuge regarding this data does indeed miss the point! Where the health of its workforce and thousands in surrounding areas is at stake this company has a responsibility to act with integrity."