UK. The Airports Commission has this morning recommended that Heathrow Airport be awarded a third runway, instead of Gatwick Airport gaining a second – but the latter insists the battle is far from over.
The independent commission, led by Sir Howard Davies, has since 2012 been studying the best means of ensuring the UK, and London in particular, could secure its future in the aviation world.
Welcoming the Airports Commission’s recommendation that “the best answer is to expand Heathrow’s runway capacity”, Heathrow Airport said it will now work with Government to deliver expansion for all of Britain.
The company said: “Heathrow’s new expansion plan addresses concerns raised by local communities and by politicians, with the Airports Commission recognising that “the benefits are significantly greater, for business passengers, freight operators and the broader economy” and that “all passengers will benefit from enhanced competition”.
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Heathrow has earned a critical recommendation but the battle for additional London runway space is far from over, Gatwick Airport insists |
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It continued: “The Commission’s final recommendation follows three years of extensive and robust consultation, evidence gathering and analysis. It recognises the unique role that Heathrow plays as Britain’s only hub airport. The Commission finds that Heathrow expansion is the only solution which can help British businesses compete for global growth, and support a truly national recovery built on exports, skills and investment.
“The Commission also confirms that Heathrow’s new plan can be delivered while reducing its local and environmental impacts. It confirms that it can be delivered within carbon and air quality limits and with significantly fewer people impacted by aircraft noise than today.
“The Commission has urged the Government to make an early decision on its recommendations, saying that “further delay will be increasingly costly and will be seen, nationally and internationally, as a sign that the UK is unwilling or unable to take the steps needed to maintain its position as a well-connected open trading economy in the twenty first century.”
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(Above and below) Gatwick Airport remains in contention, claims CEO Stewart Wingate. “It is for the Commission to make a recommendation but it is of course for the Government to decide. So we now enter the most important stage of the process. |
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But Gatwick Airport this morning gave that view short shrift. Gatwick Airport CEO Stewart Wingate said: “Gatwick is still very much in the race. The Commission’s report makes clear that expansion at Gatwick is deliverable. “It is for the Commission to make a recommendation but it is of course for the Government to decide. So we now enter the most important stage of the process,” he said.
“We are confident that when the Government makes that decision they will choose Gatwick as the only deliverable option. For instance, this report highlights the very significant environmental challenges at Heathrow such as air quality and noise impact.
“Gatwick will give the country the economic benefits it needs and at the same time impact far less people. It is quicker simpler and quieter. Above all – after decades of delay – it can actually happen.”
Reaction has been pouring in from around Britain. A spokesperson for Edinburgh Airport said: “We’re disappointed with today’s announcement. We’ve been clear in our argument that expansion at Heathrow is not deliverable and as a result there can be no increased capacity in the south east. Long-haul flights can’t fly from a runway that won’t be built.
“Gatwick is the more deliverable option for Scottish passengers and we’re urging the government to make a quick decision on this.”
