Airline bodies welcome Boris Island snub
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Airline associations have welcomed the Airports Commission’s snub of Boris Johnson’s Thames Estuary airport idea.
The Airports Commission has favoured expansion at Heathrow or Gatwick saying it was likely ‘Boris Island’ would be removed from its shortlist for being too expensive and its environmental impact.
Howard Davis, who fronts the commission said: “We are not persuaded that a very large airport in the Thames estuary is the right answer to London’s and the UK’s connectivity needs.
“While we recognise the need for a hub airport, we believe this should be a part of an effective system of competing airports to meet the needs of a widely spread and diverse market like London’s.
“There are serious doubts about the delivery and operation of a very large hub airport in the estuary. The economic disruption would be huge and there are environmental hurdles which it may prove impossible, or very time-consuming to surmount.”
While it will still be a year until a decision is made and decades before any building work, trade bodies have welcomed the shortlist and ruling out of the east option.
Nathan Stower, chief executive of the British Air Transport Association (BATA), said: “Britain needs additional runway capacity in the South East of England, but not at any price. With the Thames estuary option sensibly ruled out for good, the Airports Commission is free now to concentrate on scrutinising the business cases of the three shortlisted options. The proposals must be cost effective and offer value for money.”
Dale Keller, chief executive of the Board of Airline Representatives in the UK (BAR UK) added: “Airlines were never convinced that the Thames Estuary was either affordable or a convenient location for the majority of their customers. Since airlines and their passengers will ultimately have to pay for the development costs of the selected expansion site then the business case must stack up in order for the UK to remain globally competitive. We call upon Boris to support the important work of the Airports Commission and ensure that the right decisions are made about Heathrow and Gatwick.”
Heathrow and Gatwick’s reactions
Heathrow and Gatwick were naturally delighted with the news and used the announcement to further push their own case for a new runway.
Heathrow’s CEO John Holland-Kaye, said:
“We have always agreed with the Mayor that Britain needs a successful hub airport to compete in the global race for jobs and growth. Heathrow is now the only hub left in the race. We would like to work with the Mayor to deliver Heathrow expansion in a way that benefits the whole country while reducing noise impacts for local people compared to today.”
Gatwick Airport chief executive Stewart Wingate, said:
“This is an important juncture in the aviation debate because now Britain’s choice is clear; expand Gatwick and support genuine competition, lower fares and greater choice for passengers or expand Heathrow and return to the stale monopoly of the past and watch the cost of going on holiday, travelling for business and exporting goods and service go up.
“We believe Gatwick has the strongest case. It is the only option left on the table that can be delivered with more certainty than either of the Heathrow options, and it can be delivered without the significant environmental impacts expansion at Heathrow would inflict on London. It can be delivered faster than any other option, and at low cost and low risk.”
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