Report puts Heathrow hub case forward
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Heathrow Airport’s chief executive Colin Matthews is to launch a report today outlining why the airport needs to become a UK hub.
Matthews is to send the ‘One Hub or None’ report to Sir Howard Davies, who is heading an aviation commission that is not due to be published until 2015.
The report is expected to say the Heathrow to Gatwick connection, dubbed Heathwick, is impractical and outline Heathrow as the only suitable hub airport.
In a statement Virgin Atlantic said the report made a “compelling case for a single hub airport” and was “sure” Davies would find it useful.
Meanwhile, Mayor Boris Johnson pushed for his proposal for an airport in the Thames Estuary or expansion at Stansted. In a recent poll of 93 MPs with Evening Standard, 46% supported Heathrow expansion while 16% backed the Boris Island.
In response to Heathrow’s report, Gatwick Airport argued it was bestt placed to solved capacity problems in the south east of England. It urged Davies not to look at Heathrow’s “monopoly past”.
“A new runway at Gatwick could be more affordable and practical than other options and give passengers a greater choice of routes to key destinations. Critically, we would have a significantly lower environmental impact compared to an expanded Heathrow,” its statement read. “The Airports Commission needs to look to the future and not to Heathrow’s monopoly past. It will need to decide whether a competitive airports’ network in London, delivering more passenger choice, connections, convenience and lower prices, is more preferable to propping up an outdated and unnecessary expanded Heathrow.”