Industry stakeholders back Heathrow expansion decision
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The UK government’s decision to back the development of a third runway at London Heathrow in a bid to meet growing air capacity demands in the capital has received strong support from the country’s airlines and major travel organisations.
UK Ministers approved the development of a third runway on Tuesday morning, disregarding an expansion bid from rival airport London Gatwick.
Transport Secretary Chris Grayling called the decision to back Heathrow “truly momentous” and said expansion would improve the UK’s connections with the rest of the world.
Industry response has largely been positive in the wake of the news. Below are some of the highlights.
UKinbound
UKinbound’s chief executive officer, Deirdre Wells OBE said: “UKinbound is delighted that a decision has been made by the Government and that the building of a new runway at London Heathrow will now move forward. 71% of inbound visitors fly to this country and the expansion of our global gateway – London Heathrow, is crucial to the UK’s future growth.
“We would like to congratulate London Heathrow and also urge the airport to swiftly move forward with the development of a third runway. With overseas visitor spending accounting for £22 billion in export earnings and tourism the UK’s third biggest employer, it’s imperative that work to expand the UK’s airport capacity faces no further delays.
“The UK’s tourism industry is predicted to continue its rapid growth as a key destination for leisure and business travellers. Given this, we ask the Government to develop a transport infrastructure to match demand and that a second runway at London Gatwick not be dismissed in the long-term.”
ABTA
ABTA CEO, Mark Tanzer, said: “ABTA welcomes today’s announcement by the Government that it will follow the Airports Commission’s recommendation that Heathrow should be allowed to build a third runway. Increasing airport capacity is essential to the UK’s economy, growth and global competitiveness and we are pleased that this decision has been arrived at after fair, transparent, and thorough processes and consultations.
“ABTA takes a long-term view on growing airport capacity. We have urged expansion at both Heathrow and Gatwick to meet the 2050 demand, rather than just 2030 capacity needs. The case for expansion at both airports remains clear: Heathrow is full and Gatwick operates at full capacity at peak times. Additional capacity is essential at both airports to cope with growing passenger demand and provide resilience.
“ABTA agrees that it is essential for environmental impacts to be minimised and mitigated. It is also vital that there is comprehensive public transport access to support demand. The scheme must be cost-efficient and affordable and passengers today must not be expected to pay for a runway that won’t be open until 2025.
“We now call on the Government to work across party boundaries and achieve a robust political consensus which will create the necessary infrastructure to deliver the new runway by 2025. ABTA will be working with the Government as well as the opposition parties to achieve this.”
Virgin Atlantic
Craig Kreeger, CEO at Virgin Atlantic commented: “We applaud the Government for reaching a decision on this thorny issue after much analysis, scrutiny and deliberation. We support Heathrow expansion provided that it delivers for our customers.”
“This is an exciting, once in a generation opportunity to radically transform airline competition at the UK’s hub airport. New capacity must be allocated in a way that brings more choice, better service and lower fares for customers.”
“We will work with Heathrow, the CAA and the Government to ensure that the final scheme is affordable, cost-efficient and that the customers of today are not overburdened by paying for runways and facilities that won’t be open until the mid-2020s.”
easyJet
Carolyn McCall, CEO of easyJet, commented on the decision: “This is good news for UK consumers and businesses and will help ensure that the UK is better connected to the rest of the world.
“With the right charging structure and the right infrastructure for our efficient model, easyJet plans to operate from Heathrow, in addition to our existing London bases, providing new routes and lower fares to customers.”
Flybe
“Flybe, Europe’s largest regional airline, says that any final decision on the Government’s announcement on airport expansion at London Heathrow Airport must incorporate assurances that it becomes a hub for the whole of the UK. Flybe calls on the Government to ensure that some of the new capacity is reserved for operators of regional aircraft at affordable prices.
“Flybe has been encouraged by Heathrow’s recently announced plans to support regional flights and wants to see these plans progressed. Without such flights, the UK regions will miss out on much-needed connectivity to the capital and to long-haul destinations via Heathrow.
“In the interim Flybe believes the Government should allow scheduled commercial flights to and from RAF Northolt to fast-track the benefits of regional connectivity. The new capacity at Heathrow will take a decade or more to build and Northolt is available right now.”
Ryanair
Ryanair’s CEO Michael O’Leary said: “This piecemeal approach to runway infrastructure in the south east is damaging British tourism and the competitiveness of London airports. Approving a third runway at Heathrow over Gatwick is not the way forward. London now benefits from 3 competing airports, and 3 large competing airlines (BA, easyJet and Ryanair) and the best way to deliver additional runways in a timely and cost efficient manner is to approve 3 additional runways, one each at Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted. The threat of additional runways at competitor airports will force Heathrow to keep its costs down while developing a third runway in the most timely and efficient manner.
“Today’s decision, which implies that Heathrow can build a third runway at the expense of Gatwick and Stansted, will simply encourage this Spanish-owned monopoly to yet again waste billions on gold plated expensive facilities, and game the regulatory system with higher airport fees and higher air fares.
“Theresa May’s Government in a post-Brexit world has promised to make Britain an open, competitive and outward looking economy. Today’s decision to approve just 1 runway (instead of the 3 competing runways) does not achieve this objective. It’s a return to monopoly featherbedding at Heathrow, and a continuation of runway capacity constraints in the south east that will ultimately be bad for consumer choice and fares.
At a time when the UK benefits from having 3 competing airports in London, and 3 strong competing airlines, we now need 3 additional runways to enable London and the south east to continue to offer competitive airport fees, lower air fares and a better deal for UK citizens and visitors.”
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