The article spells out how local residents' pressure has led to the closure of the Mandelieue business aviation airport at Cannes, representing the twelfth such closure in 15 years of a landing site on France's Côte d'Azur, Europe's busiest corporate helicopter charter market.

Further pressure is described leading to curtailments at Monaco and Nice.  London's situation is also set out from the point of view of the helicopter operators and their wishes to grow their corporate business against a backdrop of pressure from local authorities and their residents.

Just as interesting is the section of the article dealing with the operators' and manufacturers' tactics to fight back.  We quote:

"Aware that that the public's perception of helicopters as being excessively noisy threatened the growth of activity on the Côte d'Azur, Nice airport created a helicopter coalition in 2000.  The 10-spot heliport was completed the same year.  This grouping brought the region's charter companies and heliport operators together with manufacturers AgustaWestland and Eurocopter to work on ways to counter the anti-noise lobby.

The coalition recently held its second major forum, but its members are still engaged in a rearguard action. 'Our priority at the moment is to fight against further closures ....'."  Ring any bells, you London Boroughs?

PremiAir of Denham is cited as seeking, via a marketing drive, to persuade businesses of the benefits of helicopter charter to visit remote sites and facilities as opposed to road/rail hassle.  The aim is to increase their winter-time movements (business) up to the level of summer's activity (business).