London mayor rejects Heathrow expansion
Source: Agencies |
July 16, 2013, Tuesday
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LONDON'S mayor sketched out three options to solve Britain's airport capacity crunch, slamming the idea that expanding Heathrow is a viable alternative, in the latest episode in a long-running political tussle.
Lawmakers and businessmen are eager for Britain to add flights to fast-growing economies to ensure it doesn't miss out on billions of pounds of trade but with the United Kingdom's main Heathrow hub operating at 99 percent capacity, more runways are needed.
London's mayor, Boris Johnson - a Conservative tipped as a possible future prime minister - yesterday gave his backing to three airport plans which he said were deliverable by 2029, favoring alternatives to Heathrow.
Different expansion plans for London's airport capacity have been on and off the table since the 1970s but with air-travel demand expected to double in Britain to 300 million passengers per year by 2030, the crunch is coming to a head.
Johnson's office will submit the case that London should have a four-runway airport, which would be either a new hub 65 kilometers east of central London on the Isle of Grain, further out in the Thames Estuary on an artificial island, or the expansion of Stansted airport, to the northeast of the city.
Overturning the previous Labour administration's decision to build a third runway at Heathrow, Britain's Conservative-led coalition government, in power since 2010, also ruled out expanding London's smaller airports.
The mayor said that expanding Heathrow was not an option given the hundreds of thousands of people who would be affected by the increased noise. He also says that London needs a "hub" airport with four runways to cater for future demand.
"There is no evidence whatever that a third runway let alone a fourth runway at Heathrow would be cheaper than the long term solution that we're (outlining)," Johnson told a press conference.
The new plans could cost up to 65 billion pounds (US$97.91 billion) each, including the cost of expanding roads and rail services, Michele Dix, a Transport for London executive, said.
The submissions will be made to a government commission chaired by former Financial Services Authority head Howard Davies, which is due to publish an interim report by the end of next year with a final report due in mid-2015.
Johnson said he thought the Isle of Grain option currently had the edge out of his three proposals.
Willie Walsh, the CEO of British Airways owner IAG has poured cold water on Johnson's ideas, questioning how a new four-runway hub would be financed.
Lawmakers and businessmen are eager for Britain to add flights to fast-growing economies to ensure it doesn't miss out on billions of pounds of trade but with the United Kingdom's main Heathrow hub operating at 99 percent capacity, more runways are needed.
London's mayor, Boris Johnson - a Conservative tipped as a possible future prime minister - yesterday gave his backing to three airport plans which he said were deliverable by 2029, favoring alternatives to Heathrow.
Different expansion plans for London's airport capacity have been on and off the table since the 1970s but with air-travel demand expected to double in Britain to 300 million passengers per year by 2030, the crunch is coming to a head.
Johnson's office will submit the case that London should have a four-runway airport, which would be either a new hub 65 kilometers east of central London on the Isle of Grain, further out in the Thames Estuary on an artificial island, or the expansion of Stansted airport, to the northeast of the city.
Overturning the previous Labour administration's decision to build a third runway at Heathrow, Britain's Conservative-led coalition government, in power since 2010, also ruled out expanding London's smaller airports.
The mayor said that expanding Heathrow was not an option given the hundreds of thousands of people who would be affected by the increased noise. He also says that London needs a "hub" airport with four runways to cater for future demand.
"There is no evidence whatever that a third runway let alone a fourth runway at Heathrow would be cheaper than the long term solution that we're (outlining)," Johnson told a press conference.
The new plans could cost up to 65 billion pounds (US$97.91 billion) each, including the cost of expanding roads and rail services, Michele Dix, a Transport for London executive, said.
The submissions will be made to a government commission chaired by former Financial Services Authority head Howard Davies, which is due to publish an interim report by the end of next year with a final report due in mid-2015.
Johnson said he thought the Isle of Grain option currently had the edge out of his three proposals.
Willie Walsh, the CEO of British Airways owner IAG has poured cold water on Johnson's ideas, questioning how a new four-runway hub would be financed.
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